Gunmen stormed an office of Iraq's human rights ministry in capital Baghdad Thursday and took as hostages many officials, a police source said.
The attack occurred when eight gunmen broke into the office in al-Qanat area after a clash with the guards and took a yet undetermined number of officials as hostages, the source told Xinhua.
Iraqi security forces surrounded the area, which included several government buildings, and started negotiations with the attackers, the source added.