Iraqi officials say a car bomb has exploded in central Baghdad, killing at least 18 people and wounding 50.
The Monday morning blast in the Baab al-Muadham neighborhood damaged an office for Shi'ite religious affairs that manages religious and cultural sites.
The explosion follows a series of attacks that killed 17 people in Baghdad last week.
The spike in attacks coincides with a ratcheting-up of months-long political tensions in which several political parties have called for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to be unseated.
Violence in Iraq has declined dramatically since its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
