Al Qaeda in Iraq has taken credit for a bloody wave of attacks across eight Iraqi cities on Tuesday, which killed at least 46 people and wounded more than 200.

The statement by the Islamic State of Iraq, posted on a militant website Wednesday, said its goal is to prove ahead of next week's Arab League meeting in Baghdad that the security measures of the Iraqi government are weak.

The group said its "Sunni lions" targeted the plan of the "fool government preparing for the summit."

"Within few hours, all the security measures adopted by the Shiite government have collapsed and the enemy was taken by surprise," the statement read. "Several government and security headquarters were attacked."

The Iraqi government has vowed they will not be deterred from hosting the summit. An estimated 26,000 police and soldiers are expected to be deployed in Baghdad.

The Arab leaders have not met in Iraq since 1990.