Series of car bombs kills 24 people in Iraq, say officials

Baghdad: At least 10 apparently coordinated car bombs and a shooting across Iraq have killed at least 24 and wounded dozens, said officials.

Police say most of today's car bombs hit Shiite-majority areas, killing 20. The blasts hit half a dozen cities and towns in the south and center of the country - Basra, Kut, Nasiriyah, Hillah, Najaf, Mahmoudiya and Madain.

The shooting happened near the restive northern city of Mosul. Police officials say gunmen attacked police guarding a remote stretch of an oil pipeline, killing four and wounding five.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren't allowed to release the information.