Saturday, October 14, 2006
Curfew in Balad and Dhuluiya after mass retaliation killings
Security
The bodies of 26 Iraqis, apparently killed in retaliation for the killing of 14 Shiite construction workers, have been found scattered in and around the city of Balad, according to an official with Salaheddin Joint Coordination Center. The 14 Shiite construction workers, kidnapped on a road in the mainly Sunni town of Dhuluiya in Salaheddin province after leaving work Thursday, were found Friday morning with their throats slit and hands and legs bound, the official said.
Those workers were from the Shiite town of Balad, near Dhuluiya, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad. The official said it appeared the 26 deaths around Balad since the discovery of the slain construction workers was part of Shiite retaliation. The bodies were discovered on Friday and Saturday. He said a curfew has been imposed in Balad and Dhuluiya and a team of Iraqi police was sent to Balad to investigate.
Those workers were from the Shiite town of Balad, near Dhuluiya, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad. The official said it appeared the 26 deaths around Balad since the discovery of the slain construction workers was part of Shiite retaliation. The bodies were discovered on Friday and Saturday. He said a curfew has been imposed in Balad and Dhuluiya and a team of Iraqi police was sent to Balad to investigate.
The southern city of Najaf is under tight security as Shiites converge for a major commemoration. On Saturday they will observe the martyrdom of Imam Ali, Shiite Islam's most revered imam. A vehicle ban was imposed Thursday and will be in effect through the end of ceremonies Saturday.
