A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad and three suspected mortar rounds hit the Iraqi education and oil ministries during the Monday morning rush hours, police said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The car bomb exploded at about 8:00 a.m. (04:00 GMT) near Sarafiya bridge, on a road where police make frequent patrols but no casualties were reported, according to police sources.

Witnesses said the driver of the car fled the scene after he abandoned the car under the bridge before it exploded.

Meanwhile, the police sources also said two suspected mortar rounds were fired at the Iraqi education and oil ministries, but missed their targets and landed in a disused compound.

A third mortar round landed in some waste ground and caused no casualties, some witnesses said.