A roadside bomb went off in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, killing 7 Iraqi civilians and injured 18 others, a police source told Xinhua.

The blast occurred at about 11:15 a.m.(0715 GMT) in the neighborhood of Al-Nadha in eastern Baghdad, the source said on customary condition of anonymity.

The roadside bomb targeted a police patrol but missed, causing much casualties to the passers-by, the source said.

In recent months, Baghdad and other Iraqi cities have witnessed a upsurge of violence, which is seen as a major setback for the Iraqi government's efforts to achieve security.

Source: Xinhua