Shiite police kill 45 Sunnis

Off-duty Shiite policemen enraged by massive bombings in the northern town of Tal Afar on Tuesday, today went on a revenge spree against Sunni residents there, killing at least 45 men execution-style, police and hospital officials said. Two truck bombs shattered markets in Tal Afar, killing at least 63 people and wounding dozens in the second assault in four days on a predominantly Shi’ite Muslim city hit by a resurgence in violence a year after it was held up as a symbol of US success.

The policemen began roaming the town’s Sunni neighbourhoods on foot early in the morning, shooting at Sunni residents. A hospital official in Tal Afar said at least 45 men between the ages of 15 and 60 were killed with a shot to the back of the head and four others were wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Police said dozens of Sunnis were killed or wounded, but they had no precise figures. The shooting continued for more than two hours, the officials said. Army troops later moved into the Sunni areas to stop the violence and a curfew was slapped on the entire town, Wathiq al-Hamdani, the provincial police chief said.