Iraqi Traffic Police Targeted in Attacks

VOA News
August 9, 2010 at 1:35 pm

A bomb killed one traffic policeman in the Iraqi capital on Monday in the latest attack on the force.

Officials say the roadside explosion at a police station in western Baghdad also killed a civilian and left 10 people wounded, including seven traffic policemen.

The blast brought to at least five the number of traffic policemen killed this month, with another 27 wounded.

Security chiefs are considering a policy of arming traffic police with high-powered weapons. The officers usually do not wear bullet-proof vests or carry weapons other than pistols.

Already, a few traffic policemen in Baghdad were seen carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles in recent days in an apparent response to the attacks against the force. Some Baghdad officers are demanding their own guards.

Some information in this story was provided by AP and AFP.