Baghdad, January 19: At least five Iraqi civilians have died in Baghdad when unidentified assailants opened fire on them at a non-government organization engaged in humanitarian assistance activities.
“Unknown gunmen attacked the office of an Iraqi humanitarian organization in Omar bin Abdulaziz Street in the Azimiya neighborhood, a Sunni Muslim stronghold of north Baghdad, and killed five of its employees,” an anonymous Iraqi police source was quoted as saying by the Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Monday.
The gunmen, aboard a vehicle, managed to escape the scene after the fatal shootout.
Security forces cordoned off the area after the attack and launched an investigation to look into the possible motive behind the incident.
The shooting came as Iraq is preparing for the crucial nationwide parliamentary elections in March.
—Agencies