A car bomb killed 12 people and wounded 25 others in southern Baghdad this afternoon.
A police spokesman said several children were among the dead and wounded in the attack in the mainly Shi'ite neighbourhood of Abu Dshir.
The car exploded near a restaurant, police said.
US and Iraqi forces have launched a major military operation in and around Baghdad to stem sectarian bloodshed between majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
They have walled off popular markets, closed streets and stepped up the number of checkpoints to thwart attacks.
