At least three people were killed and 15 others wounded when an explosive charge went off in a busy popular market in central Baghdad on Sunday, a well-informed Interior Ministry official told Xinhua.

"The blast occurred at about 11:15 a.m. (0715 GMT) in the busy Souq Haraj market in Bab al-Sharji area," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"Our first report said that three people were killed and up to 15 others wounded," the official added.

In a separate incident, a roadside bomb went off near a police patrol in al-Jadida neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, a police source said.

The attack damaged a police vehicle and wounded two policemen aboard, he added.

Violence rages on in Iraq as car bombings and roadside bombs kill dozens of civilians daily.

Source: Xinhua