At least fifteen dead in Iraq after gunmen attack central bank

June 13, 2010 At least fifteen people have been killed and a further fifty injured after gunmen attacked the central bank in Iraq's capital of Baghdad earlier today.

The attack began when several suicide bombers detonated their vests near the bank; then, gunmen clashed with police as they tried to storm the building. According to officials, most of the dead were bank employees.

Some anonymous hospital sources conflicted with official reports, saying that the number of killed was as high as 26, with sixty wounded.

Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman, attributed the attack to al-Qaeda. He added, however, that no money was taken from the building, which contains large sums of US and Iraq money and gold deposits.

The attack occurred a day before the new Iraqi parliament was due to convene for the first time.