A HARROW Muslim was among three to have been killed by gunmen while returning to Baghdad after a five-day tour of religious sites.

Husain Mohammedali, 50, who was from Waverely Road, leaves his wife, three daughters and one son.

Five close friends were travelling together, they were mainly Shiite Muslims from Husaini Masjid Mosque in Northolt.

Saifuddib Nakai from Streatham was also killed on Monday and Yahya Gulamali, 60, from Greenford died from his injuries on Tuesday, Ali Asqar Qaiyoom, 42, an engineer from Harrow and Zehra Jafferjee, 60, from Wembley were injured and are being treated in hospital.

Miss Jafferjee from her hospital bed in Baghdad told a national paper: "We were just coming and all of a sudden heard shots and immediately got down.

"I don't know what happened and I couldn't see anything."

Ali Asqar, told a national paper that the group had no armed protection as they made their way to the airport.

"The flight was supposed to be at noon, and it was around 9am. A group of gunmen appeared from nowhere and shot at our minibus for about a minute," he said from his hospital bed where he was being treated for gunshot wounds to his arms and left leg.

The group had been on a visit to two of the cities considered the most holy by Shia- Najaf and Karbala- and were on their way back to the capital when their car broke down.

They were being given a lift by the driver of a passing blue Kia minibus when armed men in two cars overtook them and opened fire.