Six family members die in Iraqi gun raid

Six members of an Iraqi family were killed when gunmen broke into their home in eastern Baghdad, police and health officials said today.

Two police officers said the attackers were armed with pistols fitted with silencers.

The incident took place at dawn in the city’s Zayona neighbourhood.

The officers said the parents, two children aged 10 and 12, and two relatives were killed. They said the motive was unknown and nothing appeared to have been stolen from the house.

Insurgents still stage attacks against civilians, government and security officials across Iraq, but personal disputes and feuds can sometimes be behind assaults on family homes.

A health official in a nearby hospital confirmed the death toll.