Four people were killed and 13 others wounded in two separate explosions inside vehicles in Baghdad on Wednesday, a well-informed Interior Ministry source said.

"An explosive charge ripped through a taxi car, at around midday, near the Souq al-Arabi market in the commercial area of Shorja in central Baghdad," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast killed two people and wounded 10 others, while damaging several civilian cars and nearby shops and buildings, he said.

Earlier, anther explosive charge went off inside a minibus at about 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) in the Shariqah intersection in Baghdad 's southern district of Baiyaa, the source added.

The blast killed two people and wounded three others, he said.

Violence rages in Baghdad as sectarian killings, car bombings and roadside bombs cause dozens of Iraqi casualties daily, despite a massive security operation that has put 15,000 U.S. troops and more than 40,000 Iraqi soldiers and police on the streets.

Source: Xinhua