Winks Blog

21 Killed Including 12 Students

Good morning,

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen dragged passengers off buses northeast of Baghdad and killed 21 people, including a dozen high school students. The attackers spared four Sunni Arabs in one the worst sectarian atrocities in recent weeks.

Serwan Shokir, the mayor of Qara Tappah, said one other person was wounded in the early morning attack. He said there were 26 people on three mini headed from his town to Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. The 12 slain students were apparently headed for Baqouba to take exams.

Of the dead, 19 were Shiite Turkomen and two were Kurds.

The four Sunni who survived were being question at Qara Tappah police station, Shokir said.

The attack occurred on the outskirts of Diyala province, a mixed region that in recent weeks has been transformed into a sectarian powder keg, with attacks against Sunni Arab and Shiite Shrines.

Have a nice day.

posted by Wink @ 9:02 AM