With a device placed in his car that exploded while he was inside it, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and a candidate for the parliamentary elections for the “Sovereignty Alliance,” Safaa al-Mashhadani, was killed at dawn today, Wednesday, in the Tarmiyah area, north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
The assassination occurred during a field tour by Al-Mashhadani in Tarmiyah, making this the first assassination in the Iraqi parliamentary elections that will be held on the 11th of next month.
While expressions of condolence poured in from many Iraqis on social media, Al-Mashhadani’s supporters recalled his firm positions against armed groups in Iraq.
Others also shared what they said was Al-Mashhadani’s last television appearance, in which he criticized “the displacement of the people of Jurf Al-Sakhar from the region, and the prevention of their return to their homes.”
Comment from the Speaker of Parliament
For his part, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani condemned this “cowardly terrorist attack” that targeted the candidate and two of his companions.
He also called on the government and the relevant security authorities to investigate the candidate’s assassination and hold the perpetrators accountable.
It is noteworthy that the “Sovereignty Alliance” is considered one of the important Sunni parties running in the elections, and the party is led by Khamis Al-Khanjar, the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament.
Over the past years, Iraq has witnessed many assassinations and kidnappings that targeted civilian activists, journalists and politicians, some of whom were opponents of armed factions.
While the official authorities promised to hold accountable and prosecute anyone involved, some of the kidnapping and murder cases that occurred 4 years ago are still unknown, with the details and those involved.
