IRAQ: Car bomb wounds 4 civilians south of Baghdad as gunmen kidnap dozens at Baghdad Red Crescent office

Record ID: 356353

  • Title: IRAQ: Car bomb wounds 4 civilians south of Baghdad as gunmen kidnap dozens at Baghdad Red Crescent office
  • Date: 17th December 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MALE EYEWITNESS SAYING: "More than 10 cars pulled over here. The were official vehicles and the men were in police commandos. They kidnapped all the employees of the society."
  • Embargoed: 1st January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVAC0UV55FX9DISSIMXYFZ8VPO5B
  • Story Text: A car bomb exploded in a parking lot south of Baghdad on Sunday (December 17), wounding four civilians, police and witnesses said.
    The blast, which took place in Mahmodiya town, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Baghdad damaged at least six cars and nearby shops.
    "A car bomb exploded inside a garage in Mahmodiya. The car bomb was a Volkswagen taxi model 1983. Only four people were wounded, thanks God," said Ali, who is responsible for the security of the park.
    The town, which has a mixed Shi'ite and Sunni population, has been a scene of frequent bombings and shootings over the past months.
    Meanwhile, gunmen wearing police uniforms kidnapped dozens of people after storming a branch of the Iraqi Red Crescent office in central Baghdad on Sunday, Red Crescent Secretary General, Mazen Abdullah said.
    "At eleven o'clock this morning, thirty of our staff and visitors to the Iraq Red Crescent society Baghdad branch has been, have been kidnapping from the office of Baghdad branch in Baghdad in Andalous (central Baghdad) area by a group of military (men), the same uniform as the police and the same car of the police, Iraqi police from our office there they kidnapped them to unknown place and now we are trying to contact all the official ministry of interior, ministry of defense to have any information about them. And I am from this place make an appeal for all the kidnapper and also for all the Iraqi people that we are unitarian, we are independent, we are neutral. We are looking to help the Iraqi people everywhere without dealing with their ethnic or religious or political issues just helping the dp's, the displaced people, the disabled and also the refugees everywhere, try to help the Iraqi people and those staff working hard every day to help the Iraqi people everywhere so i ask those group to release them directly."
    A Red Crescent official and witnesses said the gunmen stormed the office in central Karrada in pickup trucks, separated men from women and then took off with some 25 employees, visitors and private security guards.
    "More than 10 cars pulled over here. The were official vehicles and the men were in police commandos. They kidnapped all the employees of the society," said an eyewitness.
    Police said between 10 and 20 people were kidnapped.
    Baghdad is plagued by daily kidnappings, both political and criminal. Last week, gunmen in camouflage fatigues abducted some 30 people in an industrial area in central Baghdad but released most of them a few hours later.
    Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is struggling to contain soaring sectarian tension and daily violence that UN officials estimate kills more than 100 people a day.
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