Men killed at Basra mosque -police, Sunnis say

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – A Sunni religious group in the
Iraqi city of Basra said on Sunday that police killed 12
unarmed worshippers in a Sunni mosque but the police said they
were fired on from the mosque.

A police source said they received a tip that “terrorists”
had taken refuge inside al-Arab mosque and police were fired on
when they surrounded it on Saturday night. They said nine
gunmen were killed and six arrested.

The violence came hours after a car bomb killed at least 28
people in Basra, challenging a state of emergency imposed by
new Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki aimed at cracking down
on gangs, militias and feuding Shi’ite factions threatening oil
exports.