Gunmen kill Iraq cabinet adviser

[bemildred]

An Iraqi cabinet adviser was killed on Sunday when his car was attacked by gunmen in northern Baghdad and a deputy trade minister was wounded in a separate attack, officials said.

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His brother, Adel Abdul Mehdi, is a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Iraq's largest Shiite political party and senior partner in the US-backed ruling coalition.

In a separate incident, police said Deputy Trade Minister Qais Dawoud Hassan was wounded in the shoulder when his motorcade was ambushed by gunmen in Baghdad, killing two of his bodyguards.

ABC

[callady]

1. Brother of the Vice-President

Brother of Iraq Vice President Killed


Sunday October 30, 2005 6:31 PM

AP Photo JLS101

By THOMAS WAGNER

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A brother of one of Iraq's two vice presidents was gunned down Sunday on his way to work in Baghdad, while a top Trade Ministry official was wounded and two of his bodyguards were killed in a separate attack.

U.S. troops backed by helicopters and a jet attacked insurgents planning a nighttime ambush near an American base north of Baghdad, killing six militants and wounding and capturing five, the U.S. command said Sunday.

The surge in violence came as Iraqi political blocs unveiled lists of candidates for Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, which the United States and its coalition partners hope will restore enough stability so they can begin bringing troops home next year. The election commission said it got candidate lists from 21 coalitions and 207 other political parties or individuals.

The U.S. operation against the insurgents was Saturday night near Taji, a U.S. air base 12 miles north of Baghdad. Troops saw the militants moving along a canal toward a commonly used ambush site, the military said in a statement.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5380202,00.html