Iraq violence: At least 21 killed in Baghdad bomb blasts 20 January 2014 Last updated at 13:06 At least 21 people have been killed in a series of bomb blasts across the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, say police and medics. At least 40 people were wounded in the explosions. The deadliest single attack, in which seven people died, struck a busy market in the south of the city. In an extended surge of sectarian violence, 759 people died in December alone. More than 650 have died so far in January, said AFP news agency. The violence has not reached this level since 2007. No group claimed immediate responsibility for Monday's attacks but previous similar bombings have been widely blamed on Sunni insurgents seeking to undermine the Shia-led government of Nouri Maliki. However two of Monday's blasts - which reportedly numbered between five and seven - targeted Sunni districts. Shia districts in Jadida, Hurriya and Bayaa were among those hit, said AFP reports. The bomb attacks come against the background of continuing violence in the western province of Anbar, where al-Qaeda-linked militants control the city of Falluja and parts of Ramadi. Fighting was again reported round the two cities on Monday. More than 70 people were killed in bomb blasts in central Iraq, including the capital, on 15 January.