A series of attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq has killed 48 people amid a surge in violence that authorities have failed to stem.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed to press on with his anti-insurgency campaign, which has reportedly led to the arrest of hundreds of alleged militants and the killing of dozens.
But analysts and diplomats say authorities have failed to tackle the root causes of Iraq's worst violence since 2008: anger in the Sunni Arab community over perceived ill-treatment by the Shiite-led authorities and security forces.
Sunday's violence, which left more than 100 people wounded, struck the Baghdad area and predominantly Sunni Arab towns and cities to the north, but the deadliest of the attacks hit the capital.
A series of bombings - two car bombings and a roadside bomb - went off between 4pm (2300 AEST) and 5:30pm (0030 AEST) in Baghdad and its outskirts, killing nine people and wounding 22 others, officials say.
The blasts struck a variety of neighbourhoods across the city, and were the latest in a burgeoning trend of militant attacks in the afternoon and evening in Baghdad.
In previous years, deadly attacks have typically struck during the morning rush-hour when much of the capital is in gridlock.
Along with the spate of blasts, two other bombings in Baghdad killed nine and wounded 29.
Violence has markedly increased in Iraq this year.
Attacks have killed more than 3,600 people since the beginning of 2013, according to figures compiled by AFP.
The surge in violence has raised concerns that Iraq is teetering on the brink of a return to the all-out sectarian war in 2006-2008 that left tens of thousands dead.
