Baghdad, Aug 28 (IANS): Unknown gunmen on Wednesday shot dead three family members and burned their bodies in Iraq's Salahudin region, a provincial police source said.

The attack occurred after the gunmen stormed the house of Safaa al-Janabi in the town of Baiji, some 200 km north of Baghdad, killing al-Janabi, his wife, and their 10-year-old child, said Mohammed al-Bazi from the media office of the provincial police command.

The gunmen also burned the victims' bodies and their house before fleeing the scene, Mohammed al-Bazi said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iraqi security forces rushed to the scene and launched a search operation in the area looking for the attackers, the official added.

On October 26, 2021, Islamic State (IS) militants killed 11 people including a woman in an attack on a village in Diyala province, Iraq.

On October 30, 2019, masked gunmen had opened fire at Iraqi protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, killing 18 people and injuring hundreds others.