Gunmen kidnap pro-US Iraqi tribal chief

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Suspected Al-Qaeda operatives kidnapped a pro-US tribal chief and family members in a village north of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.

Gunmen grabbed Ibrahim Abdullah al-Mujamai, his wife, their daughter-in-law and a grandchild in a village in the restive province of Diyala, said a local police official who declined to be named.

He said the chieftain from the al-Mujamai tribe had been arranging for a Sunni militia group to protect his village against Al-Qaeda attacks and to support American forces deployed in the country.

The kidnapping came a day after insurgents attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint in the same province, killing 10 soldiers. The US military blamed Al-Qaeda "terrorists" for the attack, in which another 13 soldiers were also wounded.

An Iraqi security official said the victims had their heads cut off after the shooting.

Diyala is one of the most dangerous regions of Iraq where US and Iraqi forces are battling Al-Qaeda fighters. Despite a series of military assaults, Al-Qaeda militants have managed to carry out spectacular attacks in the region.

On May 1, two suicide bombers blew themselves up within minutes of each other amid a wedding party in the town of Balad Ruz and killed 35 people. Scores of others were wounded.

In recent months, several female suicide bombers have also carried out deadly attacks in the province.

• Email Story
• IM Story
• Printable View
• Yahoo! Buzz

RECOMMEND THIS STORY

Recommend It:

Not at All Somewhat Moderately Highly Very Highly

Average (Not Rated)

» Recommended Stories