A string of bomb attacks has hit mainly Shiite neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital, killing at least 40 people during celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the BBC reports.

Bombs were set off in at least seven different areas of the city, “targeting cafes, markets and restaurants” during what is believed to be one of the deadliest Ramadan years in recent Iraqi history. The nation has seen an increase in violence over the past six months, most of which has come from Sunni Islamist militant groups targeting Shiite Muslim areas.

More than 4,000 people have died in such attacks this year.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

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