Assassination of "Sovereignty Alliance" Candidate Safaa Al-Mashhadani North of Baghdad Before Elections

This morning, Wednesday, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and candidate for the parliamentary elections from the "Sovereignty Alliance" Safaa Al-Mashhadani was killed as a result of an explosion of an explosive device targeting his car during his field tour in the Tarmiya area, north of the capital Baghdad.

The explosion resulted in his immediate death.

Al-Mashhadani had posted in his last appearance on social media platforms, a promise to focus on improving infrastructure and meeting the needs of Tarmiya residents.

This incident is the first of its kind in the context of the election campaign for the Iraqi parliament elections scheduled for November 11.

The Sovereignty Alliance, which is considered one of the prominent Sunni forces in Iraq, is headed by Khamis Al-Khanjar and includes prominent figures such as the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Muhammad Al-Halbousi.

The alliance currently holds 63 seats in the House of Representatives, according to the results of the 2021 parliamentary elections.

Condolences poured in for Al-Mashhadani's family through social media platforms, where his supporters recalled his courageous stances against armed groups, particularly regarding the displacement of the residents of Jurf Al-Sakhar and preventing them from returning to their homes.

This assassination has sparked a wave of condemnation within the Iraqi community, which suffers from ongoing waves of violence and assassinations targeting politicians and activists in recent years.

Iraq has witnessed in recent years a series of assassination and kidnapping operations targeting activists and journalists, especially those opposed to armed factions.

Despite the government's commitment to hold those involved in these crimes accountable, many old cases remain under investigation.