20 killed in Iraqi hostage incident

At least 20 people were killed in western Iraq on Monday when security forces stormed a police station to end a hostage-taking situation. Nine armed hostage-takers were killed in an exchange of fire at the police headquarters in al-Baghdadi, around 160 kilometres west of Baghdad. The local head of police was among those killed, police sources told dpa.
Initially, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the main gate of the compound, which also houses the town's provincial council. An armed group then broke into the police station and took at least 25 people, including senior police officers, hostage.