Two roadside bombs targeting police patrols went off in quick succession in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, wounding two policemen and three civilians, an Interior Ministry source said.

"Two roadside bombs detonated at about 7:40 a.m. (0440 GMT) near passing police patrols near the Beirut Square in eastern part of the capital, damaging a police vehicle and wounding two policemen aboard," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The blasts also damaged several nearby civilian cars and wounded three people, the source added.

In addition, the source said the police patrols found 31 unidentified bodies in different parts of Baghdad on Tuesday, adding that some of the bullet-riddled bodies were bound, blindfolded, showing signs of torture.

Violence persists in Baghdad despite the presence of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers across the capital in a major security crackdown aimed at curbing insurgency and sectarian violence in the war-torn country.

Source: Xinhua