BAGHDAD, July 11: At least 11 people were killed on Wednesday when insurgents herded them into a house in the western village of Karmah and then blew it up, the US military said.The incident occurred just hours after US military spokesman Brigadier General Kevin Bergner warned that militant group Al Qaeda in Iraq was expected to carry out more high-profile attacks in the violence-plagued country.

The bombing of the house in Karmah in the Sunni province of Anbar appeared to be an act of revenge against residents supporting the military.

“At 13:15 today, insurgents conducted what may have been a vendetta attack against civilians in Karmah,” said spokesman Major Jeff Pool.

“According to eyewitnesses, two vehicles drove to a house in the village, locked the occupants inside and demolished the house with explosives.” Iraqi police rescued five people from the rubble but they died of their wounds. In all 11 people were killed and there were no survivors, Pool said.

Captain Jamil Abdallah, of the Karmah police, said that the house belonged to a judge, Ahmed Ibrahim Abdallah, who was said to be among the dead. The US military could not immediately confirm this.—AFP