Bloody end to hostage crisis in Iraq,53 dead

In all,53 people were killed.

Gunmen wearing explosives belts under military uniforms took hostages at a local government headquarters in Saddam Husseins hometown,killing 15 of them execution-style before blowing themselves up in a fiery end to an hours-long siege,Iraqi officials said. In all,53 people were killed.

The attackers set fire to the bodies of three slain councilmen at the Salahuddin provincial council headquarters in Tikrit,said the provinces media adviser,Mohammed al-Asi. Among the lawmakers was an official who was known for his tough stance against al-Qaeda in Iraq,which some officials blamed for the attack. Another was an elderly politician who headed the councils committee on religion.

He was just an old man,he did nothing, al-Asi said in an interview,trying to keep from weeping. Why did they shoot him? Salahuddin Governor Ahmed Abdullah called the attack a tragic incident carried out by ruthless terrorists.

Officials said the standoff in Tikrit,located 130 km north of Baghdad,began around 1 pm when the attackers blew up a car outside the council headquarters to create a diversion before launching their raid.

Wearing military uniforms,including one with a high rank,the gunmen identified themselves as Iraqi soldiers at a security checkpoint outside the government compound but opened fire on guards when they were told they needed to be searched.

The provincial council meets at the headquarters every Tuesday,but a spokesman for the governor,Ali Abdul Rihman,said lawmakers ended discussion early because there was little on their agenda. As a result most of the lawmakers had already left the headquarters when the assault began. The gunmen began their raid by firing at random at a reception room, Rihman said.

The governor described a fierce shootout between at least eight gunmen,who overtook the council headquarters second floor,and Iraqi security forces who surrounded the building. Salahuddin Health Director Dr Raied Ibrahim said the attackers killed 53 people and wounded 98 in the attack that lasted over five hours.