A roadside bomb went off in a downtown Baghdad square early on Wednesday, killing three construction workers and wounding nine others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source said.

"A roadside bomb detonated shortly after 6:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) in the Taiyaran Square, where dozens of construction workers gathered for jobs," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The attack came after a deadly day of bombings and shootings across Iraq, during which at least 38 people including 20 Iraqi soldiers and a U.S. soldier were killed.

The upsurge of violence is seen as a further setback for the Iraqi government's efforts to achieve security and peace.

Source: Xinhua