militia in recent days, and as Iraq grapples with a protracted political

deadlock and months of protests by the Sunni community.

Analysts say the stalemate is likely to persist until general elections due next year.

The attack on the eight former anti-Qaeda fighters took place in Mishahada, which lies just north of Baghdad, when armed men kidnapped them during a pre-dawn raids on their homes.

Their corpses were later found in the town, having suffered gunshots to the head and chest, an interior ministry official and a medical source said.

The eight were all former fighters in the Sahwa, a collection of Sunni

tribal militias that turned against Al-Qaeda and sided with the US military from late 2006 onwards, helping turn the tide of Iraq's bloody insurgency.

These anti-Qaeda militiamen are regarded as traitors by Sunni militants,

and as a result are frequently targeted for attacks. In the previous week alone, nine Sahwa fighters were killed and 18 others wounded in attacks, according to an AFP tally.