Sunni rebels threaten to kill hostages

Sunni insurgents have taken hostages in in the town of Madain, a town with a mixed Shia and Sunni population, south-east of the capital. Other reports mention a mosque was destroyed and three battalions of Iraqi forces, with supports from U.S. forces surrounding the city. Report also includes other casualties/attacks across the country.

Iraq’s increasingly violent sectarian conflict has intensified, with Sunni gunmen threatening to kill dozens of Shia civilians who have been taken hostage in a town near Baghdad.

The insurgents said they would execute the hostages at Madain, south-east of the capital, unless all Shias left the area.

Qassim Dawoud, the national security minister, said troops had freed 15 families, and arrested five gunmen.

Iyad Allawi, the interim Prime Minister, blamed the attempt at ethnic cleansing on “evil powers planning extremist terror’‘, and promised that Iraqi and US forces would free the captives and find their captors.

But while troops began operations inside the town, rebels struck elsewhere in the country, killing 24 people in 24 hours, including four US soldiers.

The insurgent offensive at Madain began with an attack on a Shia mosque, Al Rassoul Hussaniyah. Gunmen then set up roadblocks and used loudspeakers to order Shias to leave town. According to security forces, the hostage-taking began soon afterwards.

Haitham Husseini, a spokesman for Iraq’s largest Shia group, the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution said: “There were about 100 masked men riding in cars through the town. They took hostages, mainly men. The families are now contacting us and asking for our help. They fear that…

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Born and raised in The Netherlands and living in Canada since 2000. Spent most of his professional career in the IT industry for corporations. Now self-employed. Loves music, graphics, science, politics and various other things that happen to pass in...