Car bombings kill 18 in Iraq

Iraqi officials say separate car bombings in southern Iraq have killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens, reports AP.

A police official says the first explosives-laden car went off around midday Sunday near government offices in the city of Samawah, while the second exploded minutes later at an open-air bus station. The Shiite-dominated city is located some 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of the capital, Baghdad.

The official added that up to 40 people were wounded in both explosions, and he expected the death toll to rise.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

No group yet has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which bear the hallmarks of the Islamic State group militants who control key areas in Iraq's north and west.