US ground troops advancing toward Baghdad appeared to pause to regroup and strengthen supply lines.

Saudi Arabia told a UN Security Council meeting in New York that it would continue its efforts in association with other members of the international community to find a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis.

“War is an evidence of the weakness of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, in carrying out its mission of protecting international security and stability,” said Fowzi Shubokshi, the Kingdom’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

Riyadh reiterated its opposition to the military occupation of Iraq. “The Iraqi people are capable of administering their affairs. They don’t need any foreign party to manage their affairs,” the ambassador said.

In Baghdad, Dr. Osama Sakhari at Al-Noor Hospital said he had counted 55 people killed and more than 47 wounded from the air raid at the market in the city’s Shula neighborhood.

Arabic language television stations, which put the death toll at more than 50, said searchers were looking for more victims, and showed pictures of people carrying coffins out of the hospital, which was surrounded by large crowds.

Abu Dhabi Television said US cruise missiles may have hit the market and showed a gaping hole on one street and damaged cars. US officials said they had no knowledge of such reports.

Earlier, US defense officials said a radar-avoiding B-2 stealth bomber had dropped two earth-shattering 4,600-pound bombs on a communications center in downtown Baghdad. It was the first use of the so-called “bunker-busters” on this city since the war began nine days ago.

Two communications centers were damaged in the capital. One big building had been struck at its base. A tangled pile of smoldering rubble was all that was left of a smaller facility. Many telephone lines were knocked out.

Playing on US and British fears of being sucked into bloody street battles, especially in a capital heavily defended by elite Republican Guards, Iraq swore to fight on and promised “living hell” for the invaders.

And Iraqis converged on mosques for Friday prayers, enraged rather than cowed by the US bombardment.

“You can see and hear the missiles and bombs raining down on us and yet Muslims are coming to the house of God to pray,” said the preacher at a mosque.

Information Minister Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf said overnight raids on the capital had killed seven civilians and wounded 92. Witnesses said eight more people were killed when a Baghdad office of the ruling Baath Party was demolished in a later raid. Both tolls were given before the deaths at the market.