Multiple bomb attacks in Iraq have killed 19 and left dozens wounded in Baghdad and Kirkuk. The attacks were aimed at security personnel.

The attacks are part of a pattern of increased attacks on Iraqi security as political tensions in the nation increased after the withdrawal of US troops.

In Kirkuk a military officer was targeted with four bombs planted near his house. The officer was uninjured by the blasts but his brother was killed and six relatives injured in the assault.

In the nearby town of Daquq, a homicide bomber detonated his vest at a counter-terrorism compound. Six policemen died in the attack.

A car bombing in Baghdad killed seven and injured 30.

The violence is being attributed to Sunni terrorism groups aimed at destabilizing the Shia-led government. The death toll of 300 people in July was the highest in Iraq since August 2010.