Gunmen kidnap 5 lawyers in central Baghdad

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped five lawyers from their office in downtown Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on Monday. The kidnapping occurred late Sunday night when gunmen in several sport utility vehicles stormed an office in the capital city's Karrada district and seized the lawyers, the source said on condition of anonymity. Iraqi security forces cordoned off the scene and launched an investigation, the source said. The identities of the attackers and their motive are not immediately known. Iraq is witnessing some of its worst violence in recent years. According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, a total of 8,868 Iraqis, including 7,818 civilians and civilian police personnel, were killed in 2013, the highest annual death toll in years. Source: XINHUA