Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Gunmen Kill 13 Villagers Near Baghdad

By VOA News
16 November 2009

Iraqi villagers and police say gunmen dressed in military uniforms killed 13 people before dawn Monday in a mainly Sunni village west of Baghdad.

Villagers and officials say that some of the victims in al-Saadan had fought against al-Qaida militants. There are reports that the victims were shot in the head and their bodies dumped in a cemetery.

Police say the dead include at least one person affiliated with the main Sunni Arab political party, the Iraqi Islamic Party.

Iraqi military officials said the killings in al-Saadan appear to be linked to a tribal dispute.

Sectarian violence in Iraq has declined dramatically since the height of the tensions in 2006 and 2007, but sporadic attacks continue.

Also Monday, a car bomb exploded in a market in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least five people and wounding another 10.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.