The Maan News Agency reported that twenty-seven Palestinian refugees where abducted on Tuesday at dawn by unknown gunmen in Baghdad; the incidents occured in Al Ameen neighborhoud, Al Sina'a, and Al Nidal streets. The agency stated that the gunmen were masked an wearing the official uniform of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.
The gunmen harshly attacked several women and dragged them on the streets, before abducting twenty-seven Palestinian refugees, including elderly people.
The gunmen also attacked a building inhibited by Palestinian refugees and fired rounds of live ammunition at it on Monday night.
The building was rented by the United Nations for the Palestinian refugees who were displaced again after the collapse of the Iraqi regime in 2003.
Maan also said that civilian cars drove into Palestinian areas and distributed leaflets to the refugees demanding them “not to attack the Iraqi and US forces, and to counter-act terrorism”.
Palestinian refugees in Iraq, who total around 15000, have become the target of increasing attacks, including kidnappings and killings.
Attacks against Palestinian refugees in Iraq recently claimed the the lives of several people, who were abducted by gunmen. Marks of torture were apparent on the bodies of the slain refugees.
The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that the Palestinian Refugees Association in Europe issued a press release calling on the Iraqi government and the conferees convened on Palestinian Refugees Affairs,in Cairo, to provide protection for the Palestinian refugees in Iraq.
