Sunni leaders in Iraq halt talks after 64 slain in mosque attack

BAGHDAD -- Gunmen attacked a Sunni mosque in Iraq during Friday prayers and killed at least 64 people, prompting Sunni lawmakers to withdraw from talks on forming a new, more inclusive government capable of confronting the Islamic extremists who have overrun large swaths of Iraq and Syria.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack was carried out by Shiite militiamen or insurgents of the Islamic State group, who have been advancing into mixed Sunni-Shiite areas in volatile Diyala province and have been known to kill fellow Sunni Muslims who refuse to submit to their harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Sunni lawmakers, however, quickly blamed the carnage on powerful Shiite militias out to avenge an earlier bombing, and two major Sunni parliamentary blocs pulled out of talks on forming a new Cabinet. The move creates a major hurdle for prime minister-designate Haider al-Abadi as he struggles to reach out to disaffected Sunnis to form a government that can confront the Islamic State extremists.

Both al-Abadi and outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki condemned the attack and called for an investigation.

The onslaught on the Musab bin Omair Mosque in the village of Imam Wais began with a suicide bombing near its entrance, followed by a raid by gunmen who stormed the building, opening fire on worshippers, security officials said.

Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen raced to the scene to reinforce security but were slowed by bombs planted by the militants, which allowed the gunmen to flee, according to officials in Imam Wais, 75 miles northeast of Baghdad.

At least 64 people were killed, including four Shiite militiamen, and more than 60 people were wounded, medical officials said. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

In pointing the finger at Islamic State fighters, village officials said the Sunni extremists have been pressuring two prominent Sunni tribes in the area -- the Oal-Waisi and al-Jabour -- to join them but so far they have refused.

Nonetheless, local Sunni lawmakers in Diyala province blamed Shiite militiamen for what they said was a revenge attack for a bombing earlier Friday.

In that attack, a roadside bomb hit the convoy of a local Shiite militia leader, wounding three of his bodyguards, Sunni lawmaker Raad al-Dahlaki said. He said the militia leader survived and, out for revenge, entered the mosque along with fellow Shiite gunmen and opened fire.

Shiite militias then surrounded the general hospital in Baqouba, Diyala's provincial capital, vowing to attack relatives of the dead, al-Dahlaki said.

In announcing their pullout from talks on forming a new government, Sunni parliamentary blocs affiliated with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlak demanded that the main Shiite parliamentary bloc hand over the perpetrators within 48 hours and compensate the families of victims "if they want the political process and the new government to see the light of day."

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration condemned Friday's "vicious attack" and said it underscores "the urgent need for Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum to take the necessary steps that will help unify the country against all violent extremist groups," State Department deputy spokesman Marie Harf said.

On Friday, Iraq's top Shiite cleric again called upon the country's leaders to settle their differences and to swiftly form a new government to confront the Sunni insurgency.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the next government should be made up of candidates who care about "the country's future and its citizens" regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliations.

The cleric's remarks were relayed by his representative, Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaie, during Friday prayers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala.

Al-Karbalaie also called for urgent aid to be airlifted to residents of a small Shiite town that has been besieged by Sunni militants in northern Iraq.

About 15,000 Shiite Turkmens in the town of Amirli have been under a tight siege and are running out of food and medical supplies. The town is located about 105 miles north of Baghdad.

Information for this article was contributed by Vivian Salama of The Associated Press.

A Section on 08/23/2014