Gunmen Attack Iraq Deputy Minister
20 November 2006
An Iraqi deputy health minister says gunmen have attacked his convoy, killing two body guards.
Hakim al-Zamily told reporters his convoy was ambushed Monday in central Baghdad's al-Fadhil district.
A fellow deputy health minister, Ammar al-Assafar, was kidnapped Sunday from his home in Baghdad.
Earlier, Iraqi police found the bodies of 14 people believed kidnapped by men disguised as policemen in Baghdad. Authorities say the victims, believed to be Sunni Arabs, were among those taken hostage Sunday night in southern Baghdad.
The bodies were found handcuffed and showed signs of torture.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Iraq says coalition forces raided suspected Shi'ite militia strongholds in Sadr City Monday to search for a cell of militiamen believed responsible for kidnapping and torturing Iraqi civilians and soldiers.
The military said a mosque was damaged during the operation, but that no arrests were made.
On the political front, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem promised support for Iraq's government and called for a timetable for withdrawing foreign troops.
It was the highest-level Syrian visit since the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and comes amid increasing calls for the United States to seek cooperation from Syria and Iran.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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