Gunmen in Iraq have assassinated a prominent tribal leader in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit.
Iraqi police said Tuesday Mahmoud al-Nida, the head of Saddam Hussein's tribe, died following the attack Monday night.
Meanwhile, an influential Shi'ite leader in Iraq said residents should be allowed to form self-defense units to protect themselves against sectarian attacks.
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, told the Washington Post that Iraqis should band together and take up arms to protect their neighborhoods against rampant violence.
The continuing violence comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with President Bush Tuesday to discuss ways to end the rising sectarian violence in Baghdad.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.