.- At least 18 people were killed Sunday in clashes between security officers and inmates in a complex prisoner of the Interior Ministry in Baghdad, security sources said. Among the dead was a commander of Al Qaeda known as "the emir of Baghdad", who planned an attack on a Catholic church in October that killed more than 50 people, said Gen.
Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for Baghdad security . The skirmish in the anti-terrorist unit in the district of Karrada in Baghdad, began when an inmate stole a gun from a guard, killing several officers and Interior Ministry officials, and handed the weapon to other inmates, said Musawi .
"The security forces and the guards responded to the anti-terrorist department of the prison and killed 11 prisoners, among them terrorists (...) Huthaifa al-Batawi, the emir of Baghdad, who was in charge of planning an attack to church, "said Musawi. He added that seven policemen were killed and another injured.
Batawi was arrested along with eleven others in November, in connection with the Oct. 31 attack on the Church of Our Lady of Salvation during a mass. Dozens of hostages and policemen were killed when Iraqi forces tried to free the hostages more than 100 Catholics. The attack was the deadliest against Iraqi Christian minority since the 2003 invasion, which led the United States.
Musawi said the situation in the prison was under control and that no prisoners had escaped. Iraqi security forces are on alert for revenge attacks by Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of U.S. commandos on Monday in Pakistan. 
Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for Baghdad security . The skirmish in the anti-terrorist unit in the district of Karrada in Baghdad, began when an inmate stole a gun from a guard, killing several officers and Interior Ministry officials, and handed the weapon to other inmates, said Musawi .
"The security forces and the guards responded to the anti-terrorist department of the prison and killed 11 prisoners, among them terrorists (...) Huthaifa al-Batawi, the emir of Baghdad, who was in charge of planning an attack to church, "said Musawi. He added that seven policemen were killed and another injured.
Batawi was arrested along with eleven others in November, in connection with the Oct. 31 attack on the Church of Our Lady of Salvation during a mass. Dozens of hostages and policemen were killed when Iraqi forces tried to free the hostages more than 100 Catholics. The attack was the deadliest against Iraqi Christian minority since the 2003 invasion, which led the United States.
Musawi said the situation in the prison was under control and that no prisoners had escaped. Iraqi security forces are on alert for revenge attacks by Osama bin Laden's death at the hands of U.S. commandos on Monday in Pakistan.
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