Car bombs kill 23 in Iraqi capital

BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials say a wave of car bombs in Baghdad has killed 23 people and wounded dozens.

Police officials say five car bombs exploded on Thursday morning across the city. One bomb struck near a bus station in the Khazimiyah neighborhood, killing six people and wounding 18 there.

Police say four other car bombings killed 17 people in different areas of Baghdad.

Medical officials in a nearby hospital confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

Violence has been on the rise in Iraq after an April security crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in Hawijah in April. More than 3,000 people have been killed in violence during the past few months.