Iraqi officials say a car bomb attack in central Baghdad has killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 65.

The Monday morning blast in the Baab al-Muadham neighborhood damaged an office for a Shi'ite religious affairs foundation that manages religious and cultural sites. It was the deadliest single attack in months in the Iraqi capital.

Later Monday, a blast struck near the main office for Sunni religious affairs. No one was hurt in that blast.

A series of attacks in Baghdad last week killed 17 people.

The spike in violence coincides with a ratcheting-up of months-long political tensions in which several political parties have called for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to be unseated.

Violence in Iraq has declined dramatically since its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common.