Four people were killed in an armed attack near the central Iraqi city of Baquba, a security official said, stating that a leader of the anti-terrorist Awakening councils was among the dead, dpa reported.
The attack which took place in al-Ihbas village, 45 kilometres south-west of Baquba, is believed to have been carried out by an armed group belonging to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, the official told the Voices of Iraq news agency.
Awakening (or Sahwa) Councils consist of tribal Sunni fighters who turned against al-Qaeda in a number of provinces in Iraq alongside US forces.
The Awakening movement, which began in the predominantly Sunni Anbar province, has become a major armed force in Iraq. Its senior members have become a constant target of assassination attacks.