At least 12 people were killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad Tuesday evening when gunmen opened fire on a row of liquor stores.<br />According to Reuters, ""Gunmen in four SUV vehicles stopped near the liquor stores and gunmen equipped with silenced weapons started shooting at everybody near the stores," Furat Ahmed, a policeman at the scene, said.<br />Police and medical sources said at least nine customers and three liquor store owners were killed, and three others were seriously wounded.<br />Police sources said the attack targeted a row of stores selling alcohol in Zayona district of eastern Baghdad, which has a majority Shi'ite population.<br />Even though most people shun alcohol, forbidden under Islamic law, Iraq is a generally less conservative Muslim society than neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, thanks to its mix of Shi'ites, Sunnis, ethnic Kurds and Christians.<br />But Islamist parties have risen to the fore since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion and many fear they could encourage hardline Islamists to exert more influence over aspects of Iraqi life.<br />Saddam legally allowed shops to sell alcohol, although bars and nightclubs were banned towards the end of his rule."<br /><br />FOR MORE TOMONEWS US, GO TO:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS <br /><br />FOR MORE FUNNY TAIWANESE ANIMATIONS, GO TO: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NMAWorldEdition <br /><br />FOR MORE FUNNY TAIWANESE ANIMATIONS IN ENGLISH, GO TO: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NMAtv <br /><br />FOR MORE TOMONEWS JP, GO TO: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsJP <br /><br />FOR MORE APPLE DAILY ENGLISH, GO TO: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AppleDailyEnglish <br /><br />CHECK OUT THE ODDBODS!<br />http://www.youtube.com/user/nxTomo
