Baghdad - Suicide bombers killed 27 people in attacks in two Iraqi cities on Monday in the worst violence since the country's historic election eight days ago.
Al-Qaeda's wing in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for both blasts and vowed further attacks on "apostates and their masters", an apparent reference to US-led forces and the Iraqis who work with them.
US forces stormed a house in Baghdad to free Egyptian telecommunications engineers kidnapped in Iraq, the head of their Egyptian parent company told Egyptian television.
"Two were released when US forces barged into where they were being held in Baghdad and the other two escaped on their own ... the Americans caught one of the kidnappers," said Naguib Sawiris, chairperson of Orascom Telecom.
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Sawiris said the four Egyptians were safe and the company had contacted their families to inform them that they were free.
A US military spokesperson said he was unable to immediately confirm the report, but the military were making checks.
As the counting of votes continued after the January 30 polls, a Kurdish coalition moved into second place, pushing a bloc led by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi into third. A Shi'a alliance is still well in the lead.
At least 15 civilians were killed and 17 wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded outside the main police headquarters in the town of Baquba, north-east of Baghdad.
Police said the bomber tried to ram his car into the police station but was blocked by a concrete barrier and detonated his explosives near civilians instead.
In the northern city of Mosul, 12 people were killed and four wounded when the other suicide bomber blew himself up among a crowd of police officers in a hospital compound.
A large crater was blown in the road and at least five cars were destroyed. - Reuters
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This article was originally published on page 2 of Daily News on February 08, 2005
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