Iraqi man shoots dead daughter, ex-wife, mother-in-law before committing suicide

An Iraqi man shot dead his daughter, his ex-wife and her mother and then committed suicide at the scene in Hillah city in the central province of Babil, the police said on Tuesday, in the latest deadly case of domestic violence in the country.

Security forces blocked the area off and moved the bodies for forensic examination, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

"The 19-year-old son of the killer was wounded in the attack, and the incident occurred in the killer's ex-wife's house in the Nader neighbourhood in downtown Hillah," Babil Bar Association member Ahmed Abdel Ghani Al-Fatlawi said.

"Initial investigations show the crime was planned by the man, who committed suicide immediately after killing the victims."

Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights previously said it had seen a clear increase in domestic violence crimes, saying that this type of crime disproportionately impacts women and children.

Faten Al-Hilfi, a member of the commission, told Iraqi media that incidences of domestic violence should be reported early and dealt with by the police and judiciary.

Separate domestic violence cases in the Najaf, Baghdad and Anbar provinces killed 10 Iraqis last week.

Activists are urging legislation be created to help fight back against the recent increase in domestic violence in Iraq.

However, some religious and political forces view this as an attempt at Westernizing Iraqi laws and society.