Bombings in Baghdad kill 24 people

Up to 24 people were killed, and dozens more wounded, as waves of mortar barrages and bomb explosions rattled Baghdad on Sunday. The violence came as Iraqis voted in the country's parliamentary elections.

A roadside blast took place outside a school used as voting center, killing 2 and injuring 6 more. In another neighborhood north of the nation's capital, 4 died and 6 were wounded in the wake of a Katyusha rocket assault. There have been dozens of mortar attacks since polling centers opened. The elections are regarded as a test for the country's national reconciliation ability.

Iraq has been trying to improve the security situation for years as it prepares for the planned pullout of US troops in 2011.