Iraqis kill Sunni prisoners in apparent reprisal

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Gunmen in police uniforms seized a
dozen Sunni men suspected of being insurgents from a prison in
the mainly Shi’ite city of Basra on Wednesday and later killed
11 of them, police and British forces said.

Among those killed in the apparent reprisal attack for the
bombing of a major Shi’ite shrine earlier in the day were two
Egyptians, police sources said. The others were Iraqis.

The attackers arrived in a convoy of cars at the Maakel
prison and 11 of the prisoners were later found with gunshot
wounds elsewhere.

A 12th was in a critical condition in hospital with gunshot
wounds, said a spokesman for British forces occupying southern
Iraq, who added that the gunmen had said they were from the
Interior Ministry and presented documents for the prisoners.

Six bodies were found in Republic Street, police said.
Three were discovered in the Sekak district of Basra. Two more
were found in Leader Street. All of the bodies were now in the
morgue in Basra, a police source said.

Sunni political leaders accuse U.S.-led occupying forces
and security forces loyal to the Shi’ite-led government of
detaining large numbers of minority Sunnis on flimsy evidence
of links to the rebels.