Report: Iraqi officers executed; rebellion in al-Rashid camp

A statement by the higher council of the Islamic revolution in Iraq of which the London-based al-Hayat daily had a copy told of the execution of several army officers in the Iraqi army and confrontations that took place on Friday inside al-Rashid camp in Baghdad.

The statement accused Ali Hassan al-Majeed, former Iraqi defense minister who was on Wednesday appointed as general commander of the southern district of "giving his orders to execute a group of army officers, including the commander of Contingent 11 which has the city of al-Amara as a headquarters, because he opposed measures aimed at preventing a popular uprising."

The statement noted the execution of a group of "officers and assistants of contingent inside the camp without investigation and the execution of five army officers." The statement also noted that armed confrontations took place inside the camp on Friday morning and "special army units broke into the rebellious unit in al-Rashid camp and took five officers who were immediately shot to death inside the camp.