TWELVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 18 INJURED ON SATURDAY IN A WAVE OF VIOLENCE THAT RIPPED THROUGH BAQUBA, 60 KILOMETRES NORTH-EAST OF BAGHDAD, AND SOUTHERN BAGHDAD, ACCORDING TO SECURITY AND MEDICAL SOURCES AND WITNESSES, DPA REPORTED. FIVE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WERE KILLED BY AN ARMED GROUP WHO OPENED FIRE ON THEIR VEHICLE IN A SUBURB IN BAQUBA, MEDICAL SOURCES SAID. CHIEF OF THE DIALY PROVINCE POLICE BUREAU, GENERAL QAHTAN AL-BAWY, WAS KILLED WHEN A ROADSIDE BOMB HIT HIS CONVOY IN AL-HADID NEAR BAQUBA. WHEN THE EXPLOSION WENT OFF, THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND WAS ATTACKED BY AN ARMED GROUP WHO OPENED FIRE AND SHOT DEAD AL-BAWY ALONG WITH HIS UNCLE, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE DISBANDED IRAQI ARMY, AND TWO POLICEMEN, A SECURITY SOURCE SAID. TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN THE ATTACK, THE SOURCE ADDED. ANOTHER ROADSIDE BOMB TARGETING A POLICE PATROL EXPLODED IN CENTRAL BAQUBA, KILLING A POLICEMAN AND INJURING TWO OTHERS AND A CIVILIAN, ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE. IN FURTHER VIOLENCE IN BAQUBA, GUNMEN KILLED A FORMER IRAQI ARMY OFFICER AND ONE OF HIS RELATIVES AND KIDNAPPED ANOTHER RELATIVE, A HOSPITAL SOURCE SAID.
