Armed attack on house of Iraqi deputy prime minister

Iraqi sources stated yesterday that the home of Mohammed Hamza El-Zebaidi, the Iraqi deputy prime minister, was exposed to an armed attack by unknown people.

The sources stated that guards for the house were killed in the armed attack, in which the attackers used gunfire, which took place in Najaf city, south of Baghdad.

This attack coincides with the first anniversary of the assassination of Shiite leader Ayatollah Muhammad Sadeq al-Sader on February 19, 1999, for which the opposition blames the Iraqi government. Baghdad denied this accusation.