A band of gunmen wearing military uniforms descended on a commercial street in the centre of Baghdad on Thursday and kidnapped dozens of merchants in a brazen daylight raid.
Witnesses and security officials said about 100 gunmen wearing military uniforms and driving about 20 silver sports utility vehicles grabbed between 40 and 50 people in the Sinak commercial area of Rashid Street.
“In the beginning they closed off the two ends of the street and told people ‘We are on official business, don’t panic’,” said Mohammed al-Motaie, a tea seller who saw the events.
“Once they were in full control of the situation they began picking people up,” he said. “They grabbed people haphazardly — Sunnis, Shi’ites.”
Many detainees had their hands tied and one gunman was masked, he added, saying the vehicles were accompanied by ambulances.
The gunmen fired a fusillade of shots into the air as they drove away from the site, sending cars reversing across Baghdad’s bridges to get out of their way.
Pedestrians could also be seen running away along the banks of the Tigris and scurrying for safety across the bridges.
Kidnappings in broad daylight have become just another deadly feature of daily life in Baghdad as lawlessness increasingly takes over the battered city.
The kidnappings are believed to be the work of shadowy gangs and are largely done for profit, although in some cases they result in the execution of the victims for apparently sectarian motives. — AFP