Nine killed in Iraq, 14 policemen kidnapped (1st Lead)

Mar 2, 2007, 12:23 GMT

Baghdad - US-led coalition forces announced Friday they killed eight terrorist suspects during a raid targeting the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq operating in the Salman Pak region, south-east of Baghdad.

Intelligence reports indicated a significant number of individuals involved with al-Qaeda operating in the area where Thursday's raid took place, the military said.

A US marine was killed Wednesday in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, the US military said Friday.

Meanwhile, the Sunni Islamic State of Iraq movement claimed Friday it has abducted 18 Iraqi Interior Ministry employees in Diyali in retaliation of the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by members of the Shiite-dominated police forces, an Iraqi police source said.

It is believed the hostages include 14 Iraqi policemen, the source added. The claim by the militant group, which is linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq, was posted on a website along with pictures showing Iraqi men wearing official security uniforms.

The online statement said: 'God has enabled the Islamic State of Iraq's lions to arrest 18 interior ministry members in Diyali (north of Baghdad). This sacred operation came as a response to fighting Sunnis, the last of which was the rape of our sister Sabrine al-Janabi.

The Islamic State of Iraq called for turning in of the three policemen who allegedly raped al-Janabi as well as the release of all women detained in Iraqi prisons in return for releasing the hostages giving the Iraqi government only 24 hours to carry out these requests.

The 20-year-old al-Janabi appeared on pan-Arab news channel al-Jazeera accusing three Iraqi police officers Monday of raping her after storming her house in western Baghdad while her husband was away.

She said the police accused her of cooking for the insurgents and took her to a police station, where they raped her.

The woman did not specify that her attackers were Shiite Muslims who form the majority within the ranks of Baghdad police, especially senior commando units.

Sunni and Shiite officials were divided over their reactions to the woman's allegations. Just a few hours after the interview was broadcast, Shiite government officials described the account as a fabrication.

A report released by the Ibn Sina hospital where the investigation was conducted meanwhile said no physical traces of rape were discovered on the body of the woman.

However Omar al-Jabouri, human rights advisor to the Iraqi vice- president, claimed to have received a medical report from the hospital confirming the rape. The report was given to an Iraqi medical committee for examination.