3 Sahwa members killed, wounded in Babel attack

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: Three Sahwa council members were killed or wounded in an armed attack north of Hilla City, a local police source said on Monday. “Unknown gunmen attacked a checkpoint set up by Sahwa fighters in a-Maseeb district (45 km north of Hilla), killing two fighters and wounding another,” the source told Iraqi News. “The gunmen have fled to an unknown destination,” the source added. The Sahwa councils were set up in a number of Iraqi provinces such as al-Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din with the aim of bolstering political and local tribal powers to fight armed groups, particularly al-Qaeda network, in those areas. These councils are usually led by tribal chiefs or notables in the provinces. Hilla, the capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad. SS (P) 1