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Baghdad:Two car bombs exploded in an outdoor market in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 56 people in the deadliest attack since US and Iraqi forces began a major security push around the capital.
The twin blasts tore through the open-air market in the mostly Shiite district of New Baghdad.
The attack marked the first major response by militants to the sweep launched last week and a sobering reminder of the huge challenges facing any efforts to rattle the well-armed factions.
The death toll was reported by police and ambulance service officials on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. At least 127 people were injured, they reported.
No official casualty figures were immediately announced and local media reports on the overall tally varied.
The explosions toppled wooden vendors' stalls and utility poles, and blood pooled in the debris. Victims were carried into hospitals on makeshift stretchers or in the arms of rescuers.
A separate car bomb in the mostly Shiite area of Sadr City killed at least one person and injured 10, police said.
Iraq reopened border crossings with Iran after a three-day closure that coincided with the launch of the security push.
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