The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Baghdad

A string of bombings in the Iraqi capital killed six people and wounded at least 23 others Monday, including a senior Oil Ministry official, authorities said.

The six people died when two bombs - one of them hidden in a trash can - exploded in Tahariyat square in central Baghdad during the morning rush hour. Police said 21 people were wounded, including 10 policemen and two women. Police spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

The explosions caused extensive damage to shops lining the square in Baghdad's predominantly Shiite east half of the city.

Meanwhile, Abdul-Sahib Salman Qutub, one of three senior undersecretaries in the Oil Ministry, suffered minor injuries when a bomb went off at his house as he left for work, ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. Jihad said Qutub's driver was seriously injured in the attack. Violence has dropped in Iraq since the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and the routing of Shiite militias in Baghdad and southern Iraq last spring.

But attacks continue, although at a lower level, and U.S. officials warn the gains are reversible.

Twin bombing kills 6 in central Baghdad