Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq says it carried out a series of bombings that killed at least 50 people, mostly in Shi'ite areas across the capital.

In a statement posted late on Saturday, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, took responsibility for the bombings last week, mainly car bombs targeting commercial areas.

The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed. It was posted on a website commonly used by jihadists and its style was consistent with earlier al-Qaeda statements.

The bombings were the latest episode in a wave of bloodshed that has swept Iraq since April, killing more than 4000 people and worsening the Muslim situation in the country. (News 24)