Guards in a security convoy opened fire on a car at an intersection in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killing two Christian women before speeding away, police said. The Iraqi government confirmed a Dubai-based private security company was behind the shootings.
According to the AP, Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said the Unity Resources Group had apologized after guards in four SUVs fired on a car carrying the two women, killing them instantly. The Times of London quoted a spokesman in Dubai as saying the Unity Resources Group guards issued warnings to the car and opened fire when it failed to stop.
Khalaf said the government and the company have both opened investigations and that initial findings showed the guards fired 19 bullets. "They apologized and said they are ready to meet all the legal commitments," he said.
Unity Resources Group, which has operated in Iraq since 2004, employs security professionals from the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
