A car bomb attack south of the Iraqi capital has killed at least nine people, while the death toll from a series of coordinated blasts Thursday north of Baghdad has risen to nearly 100.
In Friday's attack, police say a bomb tore through a crowded market in the mainly Shi'ite city of Hillah. More than 40 people were also injured in the explosion.
Meanwhile, hospital officials say the death toll from three nearly simultaneous car bomb attacks Thursday in the northern city of Balad had risen to 98.
The spike in violence comes two weeks ahead of the national referendum on the new constitution. Insurgents have threatened to derail the October 15th vote and have declared all-out war on the country's majority Shi'ites.
