Gunmen killed at least six people in Iraq on Sunday, including an army captain and a science professor, security and hospital officials said. An Iraqi official, his wife and mother were killed when gunmen broke into their home in western Baghdad's Al-Jamiyah neighbourhood and shot them, a security official and a medic said.
The officer's 12-year-old son was also wounded, they said, according to AFP.
In the northern city of Mosul, science professor Waleed Sadallah al-Maullah was shot dead in broad daylight by gunmen as he was driving his car with his two children, police said. The youngsters were injured. One Iraqi soldier and a civilian were also killed in the northern oil hub of Kirkuk when a roadside bomb struck a passing military patrol, police Brigadier General Adel Zain al-Abideen said. Two soldiers were also hurt.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has given militiamen in the southern province of Maysan four days to surrender their weapons ahead of a planned military assault in the Shiite bastion. "Those who have heavy and medium weapons, explosives or sniper guns, must hand them over to the security forces over the next four days until June 18 in return for cash," Maliki said in a statement issued late on Saturday.
He said those who are accused of crimes but "do not have blood of Iraqis on their hands" must also report to the security forces within four days. Maliki said that after the deadline expires the military will start search operations on June 19.
"As part of our continuing efforts to impose security and law and putting an end to the chaos of crimes, we have decided that from today the province of Maysan should be without arms," he said.
