Wednesday: Eight Iraq family members killed in morning attack

BAGHDAD: Gunmen shot dead eight members of an Iraqi family in an attack on their home north of Baghdad early on Wednesday morning, security and medical officials said.

The shooting took place at the home of Khayrallah Shati, a lawyer in the town of Baiji, 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of the capital, killing him, his wife, five sons and another relative who was staying with them.

"Khayrallah Shati, his wife and five sons, and a family guest staying with them, were killed early this morning in Baiji," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

"Gunmen raided his house and opened fire on the family Initial reports are that this is a terrorist attack, but the investigation is still ongoing."

The officer said one of Shati's sons was a judicial investigator.

An official in the main hospital in Salaheddin provincial capital Tikrit said the facility received eight bodies seven men and a woman all of whom suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

An earlier message posted on various jihadist forums said the ISI would begin targeting judges and prosecutors, and try to help its prisoners break out of jails.