Iraqi gold gang kill 15 in mass robbery

Masked gunman killed 15 people in an armed robbery on a gold jewellery market in Baghdad today.

Witnesses said there were between 15 and 20 attackers in five or six cars. They were heavily armed, carrying rocket propelled grenades, machineguns and pistols.

The gang, who were wearing headscarves, cleared streets in the south-western neighborhood of Baiyaa at 11.20am by shooting into the air and setting off a roadside bomb, then broke through 12 shopfronts and scooped up gold displayed in the windows.

Police said the bomb killed four people and wounded three and that the gang shot dead nine gold shop workers and two bystanders. One of the attackers was reported to have been killed.

Mohammed Elaiwi Nassir, who owns a real estate office nearby, said police were slow in their response: "The attack lasted for about 15 minutes during which only one policeman showed up, but he was shot in his shoulder and leg by the attackers. After thirty minutes, the security forces came."

Jewellery stores have been frequent targets of crime in the Iraqi capital recently, with homes, cars, currency exchanges, pawn shops and banks also hit. Many of those in criminal gangs are believed to be former insurgents.