UPDATE 1-Baghdad suicide bomber kills several civilians

A suicide bomber killed and wounded several people in a marketplace in Baghdad on Thursday, the Iraqi military said.

Local media said at least eight people were killed. Reuters was unable to independently verify the death toll. The evening attack took place days after the start of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and tend to congregate in public places after breaking their fast.

The bomber detonated an explosive belt in the Jameela marketplace in Baghdad's northeastern Sadr City district while surrounded by security forces, the Baghdad Operations Command said in a statement. It said the attack, for which there was no immediate claim of responsibility, had claimed "a number of martyrs and wounded".

Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants in 2017, three years after the jihadist group took over vast swathes of the country. Its fighters have since adapted their tactics to focus on insurgent-style attacks. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by John Stonestreet)

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