A HARROW man was among three British Muslims killed by gunmen while on a five-day pilgrimage to religious sites in Iraq.

They came under fire while on their way to Baghdad airport to fly home on Monday.

Another Harrow man and a woman from Wembley were injured.

Husain Mohammedali, 50, of Waverley Road, was married with three daughters and a son.

His eldest daughter, Zainab, 16, said: "We are completely gobsmacked and my Mum is finding it hard to cope.

"Our grandparents are trying to help us pull through this difficult time."

This was the third time her father had visited Iraq. The last time she went with him.

"He left last Thursday with two close friends whom he looked on as brothers," she said.

"Now they are all not returning.

"It is tough at the moment, but I do not think that it has sunk in yet.

"I am trying to be brave for my Mum, sisters and brother.

"My father was a deeply religious man, his religion was his life. He sacrificed himself for his religion."

The pilgrims were all members of the Huseini Masjid Mosque in Northolt.

"We have been attending the mosque and praying, and they are holding services in the evening," Zainab said.

Mr Mohammedali and his companions were of Asian origin, but he came to England from Uganda 20 years ago.

He owned AA Glazing in Watford, where his colleague Mark Hart described him as a "very gentle, kind person".

"His word was his bond," Mr Hart said.

"Over eight years we developed a great friendship. His death is a really big loss, like losing a brother."

Mr Hart said the company's staff were "shocked and choked".

"He was a perfect gentleman," he said. "He always had a smile on his face, always courteous to people.

"He was very popular. We have had customers on the phone crying.

"They say the good die young: he was one of them."

The other Britons who died in the ambush were Yahya Gulamali, 60, of Greenford and Saifuddib Nakai of Streatham.

Ali Asqar Qaiyoom, 42, an engineer from Harrow, and a Zehra Jafferjee, 60, from Wembley, were injured.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Miss Jafferjee told a national paper: "All of a sudden we heard shots and immediately got down. I couldn't see anything."

Mr Qaiyoom said that the group had no armed protection.

"A group of gunmen appeared from nowhere and shot at our minibus for about a minute."

The group had been on a visit to two of the cities most sacred to Shia Muslims, Najaf and Karbala.

Their car broke down and they were being given a lift by the driver of a passing minibus.

Armed men in two cars overtook them and opened fire. One Iraqi also died.