Tribal leader, 10 others killed by gunmen in Baghdad

A Sunni tribal leader and 10 others were shot dead by militiamen in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source and a lawmaker said on Saturday.

The incident took place late Friday when militiamen opened fire on the convoy of Sheikh Qasim Swidan, head of al-Janabi Sunni tribe, on al-Qanat street in eastern Baghdad, leaving the tribal leader, his son and nine of his guards dead, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Swidan is also the cousin of Zaid al-Janabi, a member of the Iraqi parliament, who was at the convoy during the attack, the source said, adding that the attackers spared his life and released him later after being severely beaten.

Iraqi security forces sealed off the street and launched an investigation into the attack, the source added.

Iraq has been witnessing some of the worst violence in recent years. At least 12,282 civilians were killed and 23,126 others injured in 2014, the deadliest year since the flare-up of sectarian violence in 2006-2007, according to a recent UN report. Endit