Shopkeepers fire on looters

2003-04-11 10:42

Baghdad - Shopkeepers in central Baghdad opened fire on Friday for the first time on looters, as the city descended into chaos, an AFP correspondent reported.

In two separate incidents, shopkeepers armed with assault rifles, pistols or iron bars opened fire on groups trying to ransack their shops.

Twenty-five people were admitted to Baghdad's Al-Kindi hospital after suffering gunshot wounds in clashes during looting, hospital sources told AFP, although it was unclear if they were wounded in these incidents.

In the al-Rasafi market, merchants fired pistols in the air outside a seven-storey garment store, while at the al-Arabi market shopkeepers fired Kalashnikov rifles toward approaching looters.

Young people were also seen with iron bars running after potential thieves.

"We want the law to rule and if the Americans don't defend us then we'll defend ourselves with our own weapons," said Khazen Hussein.

Baghdad has seen widespread looting since US troops rolled in on Wednesday and the two-and-half-decade authority of Saddam Hussein crumbled.

- AFX