Iran Human Rights, April 8: According to a statement by the Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance (NCRI), heavily armed Iraqi military forces have started an attack on Camp Ashraf north of Baghdad.

The attack on city began at 4:45 local time. The Iraqi forces number to 2500. They come in armoured vehicles.

According to informed sources that Iran Human Rights (IHR) has been in contact with, at least 23 people of the Ashraf residents have been killed and more than 300 are severely injured. According to the reports there are at least three women among those killed so far.

New reports say that at least eight of those wounded, among them one woman, have died making the total number of those killed more than 31.

According to this source situation of many of the injured is critical and due to lack of medical equipment in Camp Ashraf they can die.

Ashraf residents are mainly members of the Mujahedin Organization of Iran PMOI / MEK, who was involved in armed struggle against the Iranian regime for many years, but were disarmed by the US forces in 2003.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights, strongly condemned the Iraqi attack on the unarmed residents of Ashraf and said:”Iraqi government and Mr. Maleki must be kept accountable for killing the unarmed men and women in Camp Ashraf. We urge the Iraqi government to stop the attacks immediately".

Amiry-Moghaddam added:" Reports say that there are several hundred heavily wounded people who could die if not transferred to hospitals where they can get treatment". Amiry-Moghaddam urged the United States and the European countries to help evacuating the wounded from Camp Ashraf to places where they can get adequate treatment".