Iraqi officials say security forces have retaken control of a police station in western Iraq where gunmen with bombs had taken several people hostage. The standoff ended with at least seven people dead.
The officials say all of the gunmen were killed in the siege in al-Baghdadi, in Anbar province about 200 kilometers west of Baghdad. At least one of the attackers blew himself up.
Officials say least three hostages were killed, but it was not clear if they died in the initial attack Monday or during the operation to regain control of the station.
The compound in al-Baghdadi also holds the office of the town's mayor.
Violence in Iraq is down from the peak of 2006 and 2007, but U.S. and Iraqi officials have expressed concerns about Baghdad's ability to cope with security as U.S. troops prepare to withdraw by the end of the year.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
