Sahwa fighter gunned down near Babel

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: A Sahwa council fighter on Sunday was gunned down by unknown men to the north of Babel province, according to a local security source. “Unidentified gunmen open fire on a Sahwa council member in al-Buhayrat area (45 km north of Babel), killing him on the spot,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. The gunmen have fled to an unknown destination, the source added. The Sahwa councils are anti-Qaeda fighters working in coordination with the Multi-National Force (MNF) and the Iraqi government. Headed by local chieftains, the councils have been credited with helping reduce violence in many Iraqi provinces, like Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din. Hilla, the capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad. SS (P)/SR 1