At least 27 people have been killed in attacks carried out by insurgents in Iraq.
In Baghdad, five people died and 15 people were wounded when four car bombs exploded in quick succession this morning.
Later in the day, a parked motorbike loaded with explosives blew up in a market in a Shi'ite neighbourhood of Baghdad, killing at least three and wounding 23 others.
Meanwhile, some 30 rebels, armed with mortars, anti-tank weapons and small arms, have attacked a police checkpoint in Buhriz, north of Baghdad.
At least six insurgents and five Iraqi police officers were killed in the ensuing clashes.
In Fallujah, a suicide bomber killed two police recruits outside a training centre before detonating his explosive belt, killing himself.
And 100km north of the capital, a series of co-ordinated attacks in the village of Dhabab left five Iraqi soldiers dead.
Violence in Iraq has surged in the past few days after a lull in attacks during the elections, partly due to an informal truce by some Sunni Arab insurgent groups and strict security.
On Christmas Day, at least five Iraqis and two US soldiers were killed in car bomb explosions and mortar attacks.
Meanwhile, partial election results from the parliamentary ballot are threatening to deepen already fragile sectarian divisions within the country.
The results show the incumbent Shi'ite Islamic bloc in a strong lead in crucial areas like Baghdad, despite a large turnout by Sunni Arabs who had boycotted a previous vote.
The United Iraqi Alliance - the largest bloc in the Shi'ite and Kurdish-led government - is expected to clinch about 130 of the 275 available seats in parliament.
