Men killed at Basra mosque -police, Sunnis say

BASRA, Iraq, June 4 (Reuters) A Sunni religious group in the Iraqi city of Basra today said that police killed 12 unarmed worshippers in a Sunni mosque but the police said they were fired on from the mosque.

A police source said they received a tip that ''terrorists'' had taken refuge inside al-Arab mosque and police were fired on when they surrounded it yesterday night. They said nine gunmen were killed and six arrested.

The violence came hours after a car bomb killed at least 28 people in Basra, challenging a state of emergency imposed by new Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki aimed at cracking down on gangs, militias and feuding Shi'ite factions threatening oil exports.

REUTERS SY RN1308