At least 19 people have been killed and 45 others injured in a series of five car bombings across Baghdad, Iraqi defence ministry officials say.

The deadliest attack on Monday occurred in Sadr City, a predominantly Shia neighbourhood in the northeastern part of the Iraqi capital, where a car bomb killed 10 people and injured 14 others.

In the central Allawi district, another explosion killed four people and wounded 15 others.

A car bomb targeting the convoy of a senior interior ministry official killed one civilian and a policeman and injured four policemen in the southeastern neighbourhood of New Baghdad.

Two people were also killed and 12 others wounded when a vehicle exploded near a market in the district of Hussainiya.

Although violence has fallen dramatically in Iraq since the US-led invastion in 2003, arious armed groups are still able to strike with deadly results.

At least 250 Iraqis were killed in violence in March.