Suicide bomber targets Baghdad funeral

The attack hit Iraqi capital at around 10:30am GMT, a police source said.

A security source in Baghdad told The New Arab that four people had been killed and five injured, although this number is expected to rise.

"A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up this afternoon at a funeral gathering in the village of Sheikh Hamad in the Tarmiyah region north of Baghdad," the source said.

A resident said that the funeral was held for someone from Sheikh Hamad who was killed on Tuesday under mysterious circumstances. 

He added that security forces had been deployed to the area and had cut off all the surrounding roads to prevent further attacks.

A source from the Hashd al-Shaabi - the largely Shia militia force that played a key role in the fightback against the Islamic State group - said members of the force were present when the suicide bomber struck.

Pictures of the scene soon emerged on social media depicting residential areas set ablaze by the blast.

Wednesday's attack was the first terror incident since the announcement that influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is on course for victory.

IS has lost most of the territory it seized in Iraq in 2014 but still carries out regular individual attacks, one of which hit the same region earlier this month, killing seven people.

In the run up to the elections, the militant group threatened to target rallies and polling stations in a bid to deter Iraqis from voting.

Tight security largely staved off attacks.

Agencies contributed to this report.