AFP reporters heard a large blast, followed by the sirens of ambulances rushing to the scene in Tayaran Square.

After years of deadly sectarian violence, suicide bombings have become relatively rare in the capital. The last such attack took place in June 2019 and left several people dead.

The attack was not immediately claimed but suicide attacks have been used by ultra-conservative Islamist groups, most recently the Islamic State organisation.

Iraq declared IS defeated at the end of 2017 after a fierce three-year campaign.

But the group's sleeper cells have continued to operate in desert and mountain areas, typically targeting security forces or state infrastructure with low casualty attacks.