Baghdad - Iraqi gunmen drove into a crowded Iraqi downtown on Sunday morning, pulled two handcuffed men out of the trunk and shot and killed them in a grisly display meant to send a message to residents not to cooperate with US-led forces, police and witnesses said.
"This is the destiny of traitors," the gunmen yelled as they shot their victims in Baqouba, a mostly Sunni city about 60km north-east of Baghdad, police and witnesses said.
Many Iraqis who work as policemen or soldiers, or as translators for American forces, keep their jobs secret and wear face masks to avoid being recognized and later killed by Sunni insurgent groups or Shiite militias that oppose the U.S. coalition as occupiers of Iraq.
Continues Below ↓
The eight gunmen in two cars drove into the bustling market in central Baqouba about 8:30 a.m., opened a trunk, pulled out one handcuffed man and repeatedly shot him in the head, the police and witnesses said on condition of anonymity out of concern for their own security.
The gunmen then drove to a nearby cinema, pulled the other man out of the trunk and publicly killed him, police said.
The shootings occurred during morning rush hour in Baqouba. In mostly Iraq, the work week for many people is Sunday through Thursday.
Sapa-AP
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
