Masked Sunni militants attacked a mosque in central Iraq and threatened to kill dozens of Shiite hostages unless all Shiites left town.

Iraqi security forces were deployed to the central town of Madain to contain the situation.

In southeastern Iraq, 11 detainees angry over their treatment by U.S. captors broke out of Camp Bucca, the military's largest detention center in the nation. Ten were recaptured, and authorities were searching for the remaining escapee.

Meanwhile, at least 17 people were killed Saturday in separate attacks nationwide after a week of increased violence in Iraq.

As of Saturday, at least 1,550 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.Enditem

Source: CRI News