Four people were killed and nearly 40 others injured in a car bomb explosion in northern Iraq on Saturday as a series of blasts also rocked the country's capital.

Police said 38 people were injured in the discharge, which took place on the outskirts of the northern city of Mosul. The bombings come two weeks after US forces handed over day-to-day security to Iraqi forces.

A further six people were killed and scores injured in three separate bombings in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

An explosion at a billiard hall in the capital's Karada district claimed four lives and resulted in 15 injuries. Another nearby bomb caused injuries to four policemen patrolling the area.

In the third bombing in the south-west of the city, officials said two people had lost their lives while 11 others had suffered injuries, the Associated Press reports.
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