Suicide bomber kills 8 in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- At least eight people were killed and seven injured by a suicide bomb attack Wednesday in Iraq's Diyala province.

The female bomber detonated her explosive vest in a popular marketplace in the farm village of Khan Bani Saad, nine miles south of Baquba, the provincial capital, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

The explosion occurred near a Shiite mosque, but the U.S. military said the religious structure did not appear to be the target of the attack.

The incident marked the fourth attack by a female suicide bomber in the country since November of last year.

"We have indications that al-Qaida is trying to recruit more female suicide bombers," said Col. Donald Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman. "They think that the female suicide bombers can infiltrate defenses more easily or they may have more chance for success in their operation. They tend not to be searched as closely."