A car bomb went off in central Baghdad on Saturday, killing two people and wounding five others, an Interior Ministry source said.

The attack targeted a passing police patrol in the crowded commercial area of al-Alawi, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Sporadic gunfire resonated in the area after the blast that caused a thick column of black smoke over the area.

In a separate incident, the source said that another car bomb went off at the al-Jamia district in western Baghdad, but no details were immediately available.

Earlier in the day, a mortar barrage hit the Abu Dshier neighborhood in southern Baghdad, wounding 10 people.

Insurgent attacks have persisted in Baghdad and other cities despite a crackdown operation launched by U.S. and Iraqi troops to curb insurgency and sectarian violence in the war-torn country.

Source: Xinhua