Former Saddam general gunned down in Iraq's Ramadi

RAMADI, Iraq, Aug 31 (Reuters) A former Iraqi Air Force commander under toppled leader Saddam Hussein was gunned down in the western city of Ramadi today, police said.

Lieutenant-General Wajeeh Thirar Hneyfish was the commander of the Habbaniya Air Force base when Saddam was in power.

Many former Baathists and ex-army officers have been assassinated since a U.S. invasion ousted Saddam in 2003. Most of those killings are believed to have been committed by gunmen from the Shi'ite community, persecuted under Saddam.

Rarely do such attacks occur in Sunni towns. Ramadi, 110 km west of Baghdad, is a stronghold of Baathist-led insurgents.

Police said the identity of the gunmen was unknown.

REUTERS LL PM1653