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Blast leaves 25 dead in Baghdad Blast leaves many dead in Baghdad
(about 1 hour later)
The authorities in Iraq say a bomb explosion in the Sadr City area of the capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 25 people and injured more than 50. A bomb explosion in the Sadr City area of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 29 people and injured more than 50, officials say.
Police sources said the roadside bomb exploded at 0750 (0450GMT) in Mudhafa Square, on the perimeter of Sadr City. Police sources said the blast occurred at 0750 (0450 GMT) in Mudhafa Square, on the perimeter of Sadr City.
The densely populated district is mainly home to Shias. The densely populated district is mainly home to Shias. Those killed were said to be labourers looking for work.
The casualties are said to be construction workers who gather in the early morning in the hope of finding work for the day. Meanwhile, the death of a US marine on Sunday took US losses in October to 100 - the highest total since January 2005.
It is unclear whether the blast was caused by a suicide bomber or a device concealed amid debris by the roadside. The marine was killed in combat in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, the US military said.
Sadr City is a stronghold of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Mehdi Army militia. More than 2,800 US troops have died since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. November 2004, when 137 US soldiers were killed, remains the deadliest month so far.
US cordon
Iraqi authorities said it remained unclear whether Monday's blast was caused by a suicide bomber or a device concealed amid debris by the roadside.
There was no immediate indication who was responsible but suspicion will fall on Sunni extremists, the BBC's Hugh Sykes in Baghdad says.
There have been several attacks like this before, killing dozens of casual labourers waiting for work, our correspondent says.
Sadr City, with its population of about three million, is a stronghold of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Mehdi Army militia.
US forces hunting for a kidnapped American soldier entered the district on Friday, triggering brief clashes with militia members. The US military has kept the area under a cordon for several days.
Iraqi authorities also confirmed the death of 17 Iraqis in an ambush near the southern city of Basra on Sunday.
The 15 police instructors and two translators were held up by gunmen as they travelled on a bus.