Al-Qaida said to attack Sunni village in Iraq

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Alleged al-Qaida fighters attacked a Sunni village east of Baqouba on Thursday and killed a village leader who had led the community in an uprising against the terrorist organization, witness and police said. The attack began at 6:30 am by about 25 gunmen on the Ibrahim al-Yahya village when the fighters detonated a bomb at the house of the sheik, destroying his home and killing him and one member of his family. Ten people were wounded, including four other members of the family and a passersby. Some of the wounded were hit by gunfire. "They were shouting Allah Akbar and Curse be upon the Renegades," said Umm Ahmed, who was among the three women wounded in the attack. She refused to give her full name fearing retribution. "This attack will cause the uprising against them to spread to other villages." A police vehicle rushing to the attack scene crashed and two policemen were killed, according to officials in the Diyala provincial police force who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.