Gunmen wearing military uniforms stormed houses and killed 25 people, including five women, in a Sunni village south of Baghdad, officials said Saturday.

The attack took place late Friday in a village in Arab Jabour, a predominantly Sunni region about 15 miles southeast of the capital.

The area was once a hotbed of insurgents until the birth of Awakening Councils or the Sons of Iraq who were determined to reduce violence and provide security for residents.

Most of the victims in Friday's attacks were local Sons of Iraq members. The victims were found handcuffed and died from small arms fire, police said.

Iraqi security forces have arrested 25 suspects in the incident.