The death toll rose to three people killed and seven others wounded in a fifth car bomb attack in Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

"A car bomb parking near the Amanah Garage at the Sina'a Street in eastern Baghdad detonated at about 11:40 a.m. (0840 GMT)," the source said on condition of anonymity.

First police reports said that two people were killed and four others wounded, the source said.

The death toll in the triple car bomb attack in a southern Baghdad market rose to ten people killed and 30 others wounded, the source said.

Earlier, the source said that at least five people wee killed and 15 others wounded when three car bombs parking at Alwat-al- Rashid vegetable market in Doura neighborhood detonated in quick succession.

Earlier in the day, another car bomb went off near the Sindibad Cinama in Sadoun Street in central Baghdad, killing four people and wounding ten others, police said.

The attack targeted a passing police patrol in the area, they said.

Altogether, 18 people were killed and 52 others wounded in the five car bombs.

A new wave of violence raged across the capital during the past 48 hours in the wake of an announcement by the Iraqi authorities and U.S. forces on Monday that they were going to carry out a new security plan in Baghdad to crack down on illegal militants from all sectors.

A latest UN report said 34,452 Iraqi civilians were killed in the year of 2006.

U.S. President George W. Bush has pledged to send additional 21, 500 soldiers to beef up security in Iraq, most of them to Baghdad.

Source: Xinhua