BAGHDAD, (Reuters) – Gunmen wearing the military uniform worn by Iraqi police commandos killed at least eight people in a raid on an electronics store in western Baghdad on Wednesday, police sources said.

A hospital source put the death toll at nine, three women and six men, from the raid on the Al-Ibtikar Company in the relatively affluent Mansour neighbourhood.

Police said six people were wounded by the assailants, who pulled up at the store in three civilian cars, leapt out, ran into the store and opened fire.

There has been a spate of attacks and robberies by uniformed raiders on electronics stores and other businesses in the city this week.

On Monday and Tuesday, a total of 35 people were abducted in four attacks, two of them on electronics dealers. The fate of those kidnapped is unknown.

Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the end of international sanctions three years ago, Baghdad has seen big demand for hitherto unattainable consumer goods, at least among that portion of the population not living in deep poverty.

Also attacked on Tuesday was a currency exchange office, where police said raiders in police uniform got away with more than $50,000 in U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars.