At least 10 killed in hostage-taking attack in W. Iraq

At least 10 killed in hostage-taking attack in W. Iraq

At least ten people were killed on Monday when Iraqi security forces ended a hostage-taking attack in Iraq's Anbar province, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

Iraqi security forces, at around midday, stormed the local government compound of the town of al-Baghdadi, some 170 km west of Baghdad, to rescue hostages seized inside by a group of gunmen earlier in the day, the source from Anbar's operations command said on condition of anonymity.

"The Iraqi forces finally re-took control of the compound, including the police station, after they killed five gunmen and arrested three others," the source said.

Five policemen were killed, including Lieutenant Colonel Sadiq Aftan, chief of the police station, the source said.

The troops rescued 13 hostages, including Mohanad Zbar Mutlag, mayor of the town, the source added.

In the morning, the source said that a group of gunmen wearing military uniforms in the morning broke into the compound after one suicide bomber set off his explosive belt at the entrance to the compound, while another bomber blew himself up inside the police station.

The attackers took control of the compound and held 14 hostages inside, including the local police chief and the mayor, the source said.

Authorities in the town imposed a curfew as reinforcement troops were arriving from nearby cities, the source said.

Insurgent attacks continue in the once volatile Sunni Arab area west of Baghdad that stretches through Anbar province to Iraq's western border with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

English.news.cn   2011-10-03 18:47:40 FeedbackPrintRSS
RAMADI, Iraq, Oct. 3 (Xinhua)