At least 41 people have been killed and 68 more wounded after three car bombs exploded in Sadr City, a neighbourhood of Baghdad, police say.

The blasts occurred in three separate market places within minutes of each other during rush hour on Wednesday.

"The explosions started about 4:30pm [13:30 GMT] in three market places. Among the victims were women and children," a Sadr City policeman said.

After the blasts, residents threw stones and empty bottles at Iraqi soldiers and accused them of failing to protect people in Sadr City, an impoverished largely Shia Muslim district in eastern Baghdad.

Iraqi officials said last week's attacks were co-ordinated by al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters.

On Friday, two people blew themselves up at a Shia shrine in Baghdad as people arrived to pray. Sixty people were killed and 125 injured.

Just a day before, more than 90 people were killed in two other attacks.

Security has improved measurably in Iraq over the past two years, but bombings continue on an almost daily basis.

The recent attacks have raised fears of a surge in violence as the US military plans a full withdrawal of its troops by the end of 2011.