Gunmen have raided a jewellery shop in western Iraq, killing four people before fleeing with a large amount of gold, officials said. Police and hospital officials said six attackers used handguns fitted with silencers during the heist in Fallujah, 65 kilometres west of Baghdad. The victims were believed to have been the owners of the shop, police said. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Street crime appears to be soaring in Iraq as sectarian fighting wanes and the US military prepares to withdraw its forces by the end of next year. Criminals and insurgents are exploiting security gaps as Iraqi politicians bicker over the formation of a new government more than three months after national elections.
*AP
