Gunmen attack 2 Shiite families in remote area south of Iraq's capital, killing 11

BAGHDAD – Officials say gunmen have attacked two Shiite families south of Iraq's capital, Baghdad, killing 11 and wounding six others.

A police officer said Wednesday that gunmen first opened fire on the two houses late Tuesday in the largely Sunni town of Latifiyah and then planted bombs around them. He said that five children, three women and three men were killed.

Last Wednesday, gunmen shot dead a seven-member Shiite family in the same town, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad.

The killings raise Tuesday's death toll in shootings and bombings across the country to at least 78 people killed.

A medical official confirmed the causality figure. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.