Dozens killed in Iraq council attack

Gunmen in Iraqi military uniforms execute hostages and councillors before blowing themselves up in Tikrit attack At least 45 people have been killed by gunmen wearing military uniforms and suicide bomb belts who stormed a local government headquarters in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit. A government spokesman said that among those who died were 15 hostages who were executed before their captors blew themselves up. The attackers set off car bombs, explosive belts and hand grenades as they stormed into the building and took hostages, according to local officials. Among the dead were three provincial council members and an Iraqi journalist. A further 65 people were wounded during the siege, which was eventually brought to an end by security forces after several hours. Seven gunmen are also believed to have been killed. Salahuddin province media adviser Muhammad al-Asi said the attackers shot their hostages in the head as security forces closed in. Three local council members were among them. Al-Asi said he saw the bodies as they were taken from the scene at the provincial council headquarters. Salahuddin governor, Ahmed Abdullah, described a fierce shootout between at least eight gunmen, who took over the council headquarters’ second floor, and Iraqi security forces who surrounded the building. He said the attackers were hurling grenades at Iraqi forces. Among the dead was freelance journalist Sabah al-Bazi, 30, who worked for al-Arabiya satellite TV channel as well as Reuters and CNN. A senior intelligence official in Baghdad blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for the attack. “The goal of the attackers was apparently to take hostages,” Salahuddin government spokesman Ali al-Saleh said. At least some officials and government employees escaped, he said. Authorities said the attackers blew up a car outside the council headquarters to create a diversion before launching their raid. Wearing military uniforms – including one with a high rank – the gunmen identified themselves as Iraqi soldiers at a security checkpoint outside the government compound but opened fire on guards when they were told they needed to be searched. The provincial council meets at the headquarters every Tuesday, but a spokesman for the governor, Ali Abdul Rihman, said local politicians called off their discussions early because there was little on their agenda. As a result, he said, most had already left the headquarters when the assault began. “The gunmen were armed with grenades, and began their raid by firing at random at a reception room,” Rihman said. “Then they opened fire inside.” Police imposed a curfew to prevent all road and pedestrian traffic in Tikrit as security forces moved into the building. The senior intelligence official said forces began an operation to free any hostages about two hours after the start of the siege. Rihman likened the attack to a hostage raid last year on a Catholic church in Baghdad that left 68 dead . An al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for that massacre on 31 October, which drove thousands of Iraq’s already dwindling Christian population from their homeland in fear. Tikrit, 50 miles north of Baghdad, is mostly populated by Sunni Muslims and was a hotbed for insurgents linked to al-Qaida and anti-American extremists at the height of the Iraq war. Iraq Global terrorism al-Qaida Middle East guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 29, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.