  
|  | ||||||||||||
At least 40 killed in Iraq16 reported dead in mosque incident in Basra
 An Iraqi policeman and a soldier at a mosque in Basra Sunday where 16 guards were reported killed. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSBAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 40 people -- some of them high school students -- were reported killed Sunday across Iraq, as the new government failed to name security ministers to deal with continuing violence. Gunmen killed 20 people in Diyala province after stopping two minibuses and a car, forcing people out of their vehicles and shooting them, Iraqi police said. The dead included seven students and five elderly men. Two other people were injured. The victims were Shiites and the incident was thought to be the result of sectarian hostilities. The attack took place in Ein Leila, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Baquba, the Diyala capital. In the Sadr City section of Baghdad, four employees of a telecommunications company were killed Sunday in a drive-by shooting , police said. (Watch aftermath of a weekend of violence -- 2:22 ) Also Sunday, police found 20 bodies strewn across Baghdad, all evidence of ongoing sectarian tensions. New violence in BasraIn the southern city of Basra, violence at a mosque Sunday left 16 guards dead, according to an Iraqi lawmaker. The violence comes a day after a bomb exploded in a crowded Basra market, killing 33 people and wounding 55, police and hospital officials told CNN. (Full story) News agencies reported that police said there had been a firefight Sunday with suspected insurgents inside the mosque. But Iraqi parliamentarian Nour-el-Deen al-Hiyali told CNN that Basra police shot seven guards and detained nine others, who were later found dead. Iraqi police officials confirmed there was an incident at the mosque, but would not give any further details. On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared a month-long state of emergency in Basra, vowing to confront troublemakers in the oil-rich city with "an iron fist." ( Full story) Parliament session postponedIraq's newly installed government said Sunday it needs more time to fill two top ministerial posts -- which have been vacant for more than two weeks -- after another missed deadline. Al-Maliki had said Thursday that he would announce his nominations for defense and interior ministers during Sunday's parliament session. But the session was postponed "until further notice," according to deputy parliament speaker Khalid al-Atiya, "after consultation with the ministers and other political parties, to give the prime minister the opportunity to carry out more consultation, so he can choose the best candidates for these two important posts." "This evening we will hopefully be able to tell you when the next session will be convened," al-Atiya said. Parliamentarian al-Hiyali said there was an agreement on two candidates, but the deal fell through at the last minute. Part of the disagreement centers on how to deal with Iraq's insurgency. "There was a difference between legitimate resistance to the occupation -- which is permissible under international law -- and armed groups, terrorist groups that are being used by neighboring countries aiming to undermine the stability and security of Iraq and to create anarchy and chaos in this country," al-Hiyali said. "We need time following the appointing of the two ministers to resolve these outstanding issues." When the new Iraqi government was approved by parliament on May 20, the hope was that the defense and interior ministers' positions could be filled within a week. Other developmentsCNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, John Vause and Chris Burns contributed to this report. 
|
| ||||||||||||
| © 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. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
