A series of car bombings has hit the centre of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing¹ at least four people and wounding about 14, police say.

伊拉克首都巴格达发生一连串汽车炸弹袭击事件，造成至少4人死亡、14人受伤。

The blasts occurred outside the heavily fortified²加强的，防御的 Green Zone.

There has been a recent upsurge涌起，高涨 of violence in the city. A week ago, at least 127 people were killed in multiple car bombings.

Officials have accused al-Qaeda of trying the destabilise the country ahead of elections due in March.

One of Tuesday's bombs exploded near the Iranian embassy and another near the foreign ministry³, officials. It is not clear where the third bomb was detonated爆炸.

Iraqi government figures have shown that violence generally has fallen over the past 18 months.

In October, however, co-ordinated bomb attacks killed at least 155 people and wounded hundreds in Baghdad.

There have been a number of attacks since then - including last week's co-ordinated car bombings.

Correspondents say that besides occasional massive bombings, insurgents叛乱分子 also stage frequent smaller-scale attacks against targets such as marketplaces, mosques⁵ or schools.

Security has been heightened ahead of March's parliamentary议会的，国会的 elections.