Iraqi governor assassinated

2005-01-04 09:58

Baghdad - Gunmen killed the governor of the Baghdad province, Ali al-Haidari, and six of his bodyguards on Tuesday, officials said.

Al-Haidari's three-vehicle convoy was passing through Baghdad's northern neighbourhood of Hurriyah when gunmen opened fire, said the chief of his security detail, who asked only to be identified as Major Mazen.

"The governor was in his armoured BMW and we were in two other cars," said Major Mazen, reached on al-Haidari's cell phone. "Our convoy was moving in Hurriyah and they came from different directions and opened fire at us."

Iraq's insurgents have repeatedly targeted government officials around the country, saying they are allies of the United States-led coalition. Al-Haidari was the highest-ranking official killed since the former president of the now defunct Governing Council, Abdel-Zahraa Othman, better known as Izzadine Saleem, was assassinated in May.

Al-Haidari was the target of another assassination attempt last year that killed two of his bodyguards.

- AP