'Qatari royals' are taken hostage by 100 armed gunman in Iraq ambush

The captives were ambushed by the armed thugs in more than 50 trucks, mounted with machine guns.

Officials said members of the Qatari Royal family headed by 'Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani were taken but it is unclear who was taken

MEMBERS of the Qatari Royal Family have been kidnapped with dozens of hunters by a 100 gunman in Iraq. The hostages  on a hunting trip were ambushed by the armed thugs in more than 50 trucks, mounted with machine guns.

They took at least 26 people from a camp near the Bassiyah area close to the Saudi border. An Iraqi provincial governor said: "All of those kidnapped are Qatari and a number of members of the ruling family in Qatar are among them.”


A Samawa police colonel told Reuters the hunters were being escorted by an Iraqi security detail. But outnumbered they decided not to fight the large group of gunmen. The police colonel said: "We are talking about at least 100 gunmen armed with light and medium weapons who broke into the Qatari camp and abducted the hunters at around 3am local time on Wednesday.”

Qatar's foreign ministry said it was working with the Iraqi government to secure their release "as soon as possible". Falconry hunters from various rich Gulf states head to the south of Iraq because they do not face the tough restrictions of killing certain species they face at home.

Qatar is at odds with various Iraqi groups over regional issues including the Syrian civil war and Islamic State. Qatar's financial backing of rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al Assad has angered some Iraqi militia groups fighting the Syrian regime.