Dozens of armed attackers raided an open air market Monday in a town south of Baghdad, killing at least 41 people and injuring 42, police and hospital officials said. Most of the victims were believed to be Shiites.
According to the AP, the attack in Mahmoudiya started about 9 a.m. with a brief mortar barrage, followed by an armed assault by dozens of gunmen. They killed three Iraqi troops at a checkpoint, then stormed the market, firing automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, police Capt. Rashid al-Samaraie said.
Following the attack, police rushed to the market, detaining people at random in a bid to find the assailants, witnesses said.
