Skip to main content
Search
Services
WORLD
Iraq Transition

Gunmen assassinate two in Baghdad

SPECIAL REPORT

• Interactive: Who's who in Iraq
• Interactive: Sectarian divide

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

Iraq
Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Unknown gunmen assassinated the brother of the former governor of Baghdad and an official assigned to the Iraqi Elections Commission in separate incidents Monday.

Mohammed Radhi al-Hayderi, the brother of Baghdad's former governor Ali al-Hayderi, was killed in the western Baghdad neighborhood of al-Jihad when unknown gunmen opened fire, killing him in his civilian car as he was heading to work, said Baghdad emergency police.

Ali al-Hayderi was assassinated less than a year ago while he was governor.

In the second incident, Gen. Nu'man Selman Thabit, an Interior Ministry assigned to the Iraqi Electoral Commission, was assassinated Monday at noon in the northeast Baghdad neighborhood of Wazeeriya when unknown gunmen opened fire on his civilian car, Baghdad emergency police said.

The killings came a day after Iraq's constitutional committee approved a final draft of the Iraqi constitution and put it before the National Assembly, despite the rejection of Sunni Arab leaders. (Full story)

It will go to the Iraqi people, who will vote by October 15.

Reuters journalist killed

On Sunday, a journalist working for Reuters was killed and another was wounded, Reuters and Iraqi police said.

Iraqi police said the two were shot by U.S. soldiers. The U.S. military said it was looking into the incident.

A Reuters report said a Reuters Television soundman "was shot dead in Baghdad on Sunday while a cameraman with him was wounded and then detained by U.S. soldiers."

Baghdad emergency police told CNN the shootings occurred while the two journalists were covering an incident in the al-Adil neighborhood in the western Baghdad at around 1 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).

Police said the incident began when gunmen opened fire at an Iraqi police patrol, killing a policeman and wounding two others at around 12 p.m. local time (4 a.m. ET). About an hour later, a Reuters team reached the area to cover the incident and were shot by the U.S. military, police said.

Iraqi police are investigating this incident.

Steven Boylan, spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, said U.S. forces had responded to an attack on Iraqi police. The U.S. military is "looking into the sequence of events of this incident," he said.

The organization Reporters Without Borders calls Iraq "the world's most dangerous place for journalists."

In a posting on its Web site before the Reuters soundman was killed Sunday, Reporters Without Borders said 65 journalists and media assistants were killed in Iraq since the start of fighting in March 2003, and two other journalists remain missing.

CNN's Enes Dulami contributed to this report.

Story Tools
Subscribe to Time for $1.99 cover
Top Stories
Get up-to-the minute news from CNN
CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.
Top Stories
Get up-to-the minute news from CNN
CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.
Search JobsMORE OPTIONS


 
Search
© 2007 Cable News Network.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map.
Offsite Icon External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pipeline Icon Pay service with live and archived video. Learn more
Radio News Icon Download audio news  |  RSS Feed Add RSS headlines