Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Scores of Shi'ite Muslims Held Hostage in Iraqi Town
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CE6596:2AB91D3

Rising sectarian tensions threaten to provoke more violence in town
south of Baghdad Officials in Iraq say at least 60 Shi'ite Muslims
have been taken hostage in Madaen, a town south of Baghdad, where
rising sectarian tensions threaten to provoke more violence.

Authorities say the gunmen, believed to be Sunni militants, have
threatened to kill the hostages unless Shi'ites leave the town. The
abductions are the latest in a series of violent incidents throughout
the country.

A bomb explosion Saturday, at a restaurant in Baquba a town north of
Baghdad, killed up to seven people, including at least two police
officers.

Meanwhile, gunmen have killed one policeman and at least one Iraqi
soldier in separate incidents in the city of Kirkuk.

And further to the north, in Mosul, a car bomb damaged a U.S. military
convoy. Causality reports from that incident are not yet available.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

 


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