At least 12 people have died when gunmen swooped on a row of goldsmith shops in a robbery in the Iraqi capital today.
A gunfight occurred with security forces, police and military.
The gunmen used hand grenades and small arms to kill three gold shop owners in a market in the Mansour district of western Baghdad.
When the attackers emerged from the shops they were met by soldiers and police.
Two gunmen, two police officers, a soldier and four civilians died in the shootout.
Security officials have said some of the insurgent groups that took up arms after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein have turned to crime to finance their operations, attacking banks, gold markets and jewellery shops.
Authorities said they did not yet know whether the Mansour suspects were insurgents or a criminal gang.
