Gunmen kidnap 20 employees of Sunni agency in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0719Iraq19-ON.html

Gunmen kidnap 20 employees of Sunni agency in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped 20 employees of a government agency that cares for Sunni mosques and shrines nationwide, and the organization suspended its work until further notice, an official said.

Also Wednesday, at least 20 people were killed in a string of bombings and shootings, mostly in Baghdad, police said. They included a senior Interior Ministry official slain on his way to work, police said.

Sixteen other bodies were found in widely separate parts of the country - apparent victims of sectarian death squads.

The announcement by the Sunni Endowment, a major institution within the Sunni community, further escalated sectarian tensions.