Iraqi officials say a car bomb explosion has killed at least 20 people in northern Baghdad.
The blast Thursday ripped through a crowd near a busy shopping area in the mainly Shi'ite neighborhood of Shaab. Iraqi officials say at least four children and three women are among the dead. At least 35 others were wounded.
On Wednesday, U.S. and Iraqi security officials said the number of insurgent attacks in Iraq has fallen to the lowest level in nearly six years.
Officials acknowledged that daily attacks continue in some areas, but military spokesman Major General David Perkins said the number of insurgent attacks has declined 90 percent since mid-2007, when the unrest was at its height.
Iraqi police said a roadside bombing in the northern city of Mosul Wednesday killed three children on their way home from school. The attack is believed to have targeted a nearby U.S. military patrol.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
