An Iraqi security official says a suicide bomber has attacked a marketplace in Baghdad's Sadr City suburb, killing seven people and wounding 16.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of media regulations, said the assailant detonated his explosives vest Thursday evening.

Iraq's Baghdad Operations Center said in a statement several people were wounded or killed at the Jamila market.

Iraqis are out late during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims are expected to fast from dawn till sundown, before going out in the evenings to relax and see friends.

Iraq's security agencies have invested heavily in securing the capital, even as insurgents continue to harass villages and roads in the countryside. The attack Thursday marks a rare breach of that security.