Al Qaeda robs blood banks in Iraq

Robbing banks is as old as banks themselves. But Al Qaeda-Mesopotamia, the Iraq chapter of the organisation, has been robbing blood to treat its injured.

According to New York Times, armed militants have been holding up blood banks and hospitals to walk away with donor-blood preserved for transfusions.

Quoting hospital staff, including doctors, the report says raids have been happening for quite some time and Iraqi security forces assigned to guard medical facilities often stood by and watched.

Some doctors say Al Qaeda has its own set of medical specialists to perform blood transfusions.

The report quoted a man who claimed as an Al Qaeda fighter as saying they were compelled to steal blood due to the attacks by US and Iraqi forces.

He claimed the group had its own clinics with doctors and nurses.