Iraq security expert shot dead in Baghdad

A prominent Iraqi expert on armed groups and terrorism, who advised governments and appeared frequently in the media, has been shot dead in the capital, Baghdad, local media reported.

Hisham Al-Mashhadani was killed late on Saturday by an armed group in a village near Taramiyah district, north of Baghdad, where Daesh fighters are known to operate. He had nominated himself for the coming parliamentary elections as a member of the Azim Alliance, led by Iraqi politician Khamis Khanjar.

“Such ongoing killings are considered terrorist acts as they target the country’s national security, as well as impact the credibility of the coming elections,” said Ali Al-Bayati, a member of the semi-official Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights.

On 10 May, one of the prominent Iraqi journalists Ahmed Hassan survived an assassination attempt in Diwaniyah.

While Ihab Al-Wazni was assassinated in front of his home in the southern city of Karbala a day earlier.

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