Heavily-armed attackers rampaged through an open air market today in a tense, religiously mixed community south of Baghdad, killing 15 people and wounding 25.

A former Iraqi sporting official who was kidnapped along with more than two dozen others when gunmen burst into a conference centre was released today in eastern Baghdad, police and sports officials said.

Gunmen kidnapped the head of Iraq’s Olympic committee and at least 30 employees today after storming a meeting of sports officials just days after the coach of Iraq’s national wrestling team was killed.