Baghdad, Apr 15 (IANS): At least 20 people were killed and 195 injured in a spate of bomb attacks that struck Iraqi cities Monday in the latest escalation of violence, just five days ahead of the country's provincial polls.

The deadliest attacks occurred in Baghdad when seven car bombs ripped across the city during the morning rush hour, killing 10 people and wounding some 52 others, Xinhua quoted an interior ministry official as saying.

The attacks came as the Iraqis cities were preparing for the provincial polls slated for Saturday to elect their council members.

In Kirkuk city, some 250 km from Baghdad, four car bombs went off, killing two people and wounding 24, a police source said.

Three car bombs detonated in Tuz-Khurmato city, some 200 km from Baghdad, killing a total of five people and wounding some 49, a police source said.

In the meantime, two car bombs went off in Nassriyah city, some 375 km from Baghdad, wounding at least 14 people, police said.

A total of 19 people were injured when two car bombs struck Babil province and seven people were injured in two car bomb blasts in Salahudin province.

Thirteen policemen were injured when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive vest at a police checkpoint near Dowr city, some 20 km from Tikrit, a police source said.

In Diyala province, a police officer was killed by a sticky bomb attached to his car Buhriz town.

Separately, a car bomb went off Maqdadiyah city, some 100 km from Baghdad, wounding three people. However, 10 more were injured in separate bomb and gunfire attacks across the province, the source said.

Meanwhile, a policeman was killed and two injured when a car bomb detonated while Iraqi security forces were trying to defuse it in Tal Ubtta area, some 40 km from Mosul city.

Another car bomb went off in Mosul, some 400 km from Baghdad, without causing any casualty. Besides, gunmen shot dead a man and a roadside bomb wounded a policeman and a civilian in separate incidents in the city.