Scores killed in Iraq market bombing

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A car bomb has exploded in an outdoor food market in Iraq's Shiite south, killing up to 35 people and wounding dozens more.

The bomb was detonated during the morning shopping period in Bathaa, one of the most peaceful areas of Iraq.

Bathaa is 320 kilometers southeast of Baghdad.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.

The blast raises fears that militants may be planning more strikes in remote, poorly secured areas, seeking to stretch Iraq's security services as they take on a bigger role in Baghdad and other flashpoint cities.

The blast was the latest in a series of high-profile explosions that have raised concerns about a resurgence of violence as the U.S. military faces a June the 30th deadline to withdraw from urban areas in Iraq.

Iraqis gather near bloodied clothes following a car bomb blast in the southern city of Nasiriyah.(AFP/Essam al-Sudani)