Iraqi intelligence officer shot dead by gunmen in Karbala

An Iraqi intelligence officer was assassinated by gunmen late on Saturday in central Iraq, local media reported.

Abbas Kazem Al-Khazali, the head of intelligence in Al-Hur district in the Karbala governorate, was shot dead by assailants said to be affiliated with the Islamic State [IS] group, Iraqi media reported.

نعزي انفسنا واهلنا في محافظة كربلاء المقدسة بأستشهاد النقيب( عباس كاظم الخزعلي)
الذي اطالته أيادي الغدر والخيانه فرحمك الله تعالى برحمته واسكنك فسيح جناته
انا لله وانا إليه راجعون pic.twitter.com/45H0R4xRQh

— مصطفى الياسري (@iq13_mustafa) December 4, 2021

Khazali is said to have been a member of the Sadrist movement led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who won most seats in the country’s parliamentary elections in October.

No further information was given, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

The mayor of the Shia shrine city of Karbala was assassinated by gunmen in August. While relatively safe, Karbala and southern Iraq still witness attacks from time to time.

Two other high-ranking officers were killed in March and July this year in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt last month after his residence was targeted by drones.

Several activists have also been shot dead since the October 2019 protests. Perpetrators are believed to be linked to pro-Iranian groups.