Iraq officials say 2 bombings targeting Shiites kill 7 people around the capital, Baghdad

BAGHDAD – Authorities in Iraq say two bombings targeting Shiites have killed seven people around the capital, Baghdad.

Police officials say the first attack took place Saturday morning when a bomb exploded near a market in the Shiite section of the town of Mahmoudiya, killing five people and wounding 12.

Mahmoudiya is 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital.

Later Saturday, police say a bomb attached to a mini-bus exploded in the capital's northeastern suburb of Husseiniyah, killing two passengers and wounding nine.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to talk to journalists.

Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Islamic militants frequently attacks Shiites whom they consider as heretics.