BAGHDAD: Violence in Iraq killed 21 people on Thursday, among them four anti-al Qaeda fighters and an AFP journalist's brother, officials said.
In Samarra, north of Baghdad, gunmen killed two Sahwa anti-al Qaeda fighters in an attack on a checkpoint, while two more died in a similar attack near Baquba, also north of the capital.
The Sahwa, who joined forces with the United States from late 2006 and helped bring about a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq, are frequently targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them to be traitors.
