A car bomb went off near a popular market in a southwestern Baghdad district on Thursday, killing five people and wounding 10 others, a police source told Xinhua.

"A car bomb detonated at a crowded popular market in the Shurta al-Khamsa neighborhood, causing a fire and killing at least five people, wounding 10 others," the source said on condition of anonymity.

It was not clear what was the target of the blast, the source said.

"These casualties are according to initial police reports," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, three car bombings including a suicide one, detonated in Baghdad, targeting Iraqi police forces and killing at least nine people.

Insurgents frequently attack Iraqi security forces in an attempt to cripple the U.S.-backed political process in the war- torn country.

Source: Xinhua