Gunmen kill five relatives of Iraq militiaman

BAGHDAD — Gunmen disguised in military uniforms stormed the home of a militiaman and killed five people, including his wife and three children, on Wednesday, security officials said.

By (AFP)

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Published: Wed 28 Sep 2011, 8:13 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 9:43 AM

The group attacked the house of Hamid al-Zobaie in Abu Ghraib, 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of the capital, two police officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Among those killed in the 5:00 am (0200 GMT) attack were Zobaie’s wife, two sons and a daughter, and another relative.

It was unclear whether Zobaie was at home at the time of the attack, but he was not among the victims, the police said.

A doctor at the main hospital in nearby Fallujah said seven of Zobaie’s house guards were also wounded and were being treated.

Zobaie was a leader of the Sahwa, a group of Sunni militias that began siding with the US military against Al-Qaeda from late 2006, helping turn the tide of the insurgency.

Since then, day-to-day violence has declined dramatically nationwide, and particularly in the west and north of the country where the Sahwa emerged, though attacks are still common.

A total of 239 people were killed in violence in Iraq in August, according to official figures.


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