Mosque's imam and six more killed by gunmen in northern Iraq

Mosque's imam and six more killed by gunmen in northern Iraq

2011-04-30 01:44:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

BAAQUBA, IRAQ (BNO NEWS) -- A mosque's imam and six others on Friday were killed by gunmen in two separate incidents in the troubled northern Iraq, the Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

The two attacks took place Baaquba the capital city of Diyala province. Unknown gunmen stormed the residence of Said Bashier Mutlaq, imam of al-Samedie mosque in Imam Weis village.

The armed men, suspected members of al-Qaeda, shot dead the Sunni imam, his wife and his eight-year-old daughter for unknown reasons at their home in Khanaqin in the northeastern side of Baaquba.

In another incident, four Sunni brothers were killed at their house in southern Baaquba. Suspected al-Qaeda militants broke into the residence located in Bahraz district, killing the four individuals.

The four Sunni victims were Sahwa fighters, an anti-Qaeda tribal militia. The gunmen were reportedly wearing police uniforms but are not related to any Iraqi security agency.

In recent days, violence has escalated in the volatile Diyala province. Tensions between al-Qaeda militants and Sunni tribes began in 2006 when the latter sided with the U.S. and coalition forces.

On Thursday, a suicide bombing killed eight people and injured 18 others in a Shiite mosque. A man with an explosive belt strapped to his chest blew himself up inside the mosque in Baladruz district.

In response, Dilair Hassan, a leader in north Iraq's Kurdistan Alliance called to maintain U.S. forces in Diyala as the Iraqi forces are not prepared to take over the security duties in the troubled region.

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