Gunmen in military uniforms kidnap dozens in central Baghdad

Gunmen in military uniforms kidnapped dozens of people today from a commercial area in central Baghdad.

The attackers drove up to the busy al-Sanak area in about 10 SUVs and began rounding up shop owners and bystanders.

Two police officers said 50 to 70 people were abducted.

The assault came nearly a month after gunmen in Interior Ministry commando uniforms abducted scores of men from a Higher Education Ministry office building.

The Education Ministry is predominantly Sunni Arab and about half of the victims were released.

The al-Sanak area holds stores selling auto spare parts, small power generators and agricultural equipment.

The stores are other Islamic sect later released amid spiralling violence between Shiites and Sunnis.

Mohammed Qassim Jassim, a 37-year-old owner of a clothes store in the area, said the attack started about 11am.

“We heard cars and shootings in the area and then we saw gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms and driving SUVs who were snatching people from the shops and street. It took like 20 minutes for them to fan out and control the area.”