Up to 36 people were killed and 71 others injured by the three suicide car bombings targeted major Baghdad hotels on Monday afternoon, an Interior Ministry source said.

Residents gather at the site of a bomb attack in central Baghdad January 25, 2010. At least 36 people were killed on Monday in a series of car bombs detonated at three well-known hotels in downtown Baghdad, police said. [Xinhua]

"The total number of people killed by the three blasts is 36 and some 71 others were injured," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The three attacks were carried out by suicide bombers who drove their cars to the areas outside the three heavily-fortified major hotels in central Baghdad, the source said.

The first blast occurred at about 3:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT) near the two of major Baghdad hotels of Sheraton and Meridian on the Abu Nawas street, the source said.

TV footage showed several of the concrete walls around the Meridian hotel had fallen on the ground by the powerful blast wave that caused severe damages to the hotel building which houses offices of many foreign media and companies.

Minutes later, another blast hit the area outside the Babylon hotel some 5 km to the south of the first blast and the third was outside the al-Hamraa hotel in Karrada district, the source added.

Baghdad has witnessed a number of high-profile bomb attacks in recent months, mainly targeted the government buildings, killing and wounding thousands of Iraqis.

U.S. military and Iraqi officials have said that they expect more violence ahead of the country's landmark parliamentary elections slated for March 7.

Residents gather around a hole made by a bomb attack in central Baghdad January 25, 2010. At least 36 people were killed on Monday in a series of car bombs detonated at three well-known hotels in downtown Baghdad, police said. [Xinhua]