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Iraqis Fear Resurgence of Assassinations

Top security delegation offering condolences in Diyala on Wednesday (INA)
Top security delegation offering condolences in Diyala on Wednesday (INA)
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Iraqis Fear Resurgence of Assassinations

Top security delegation offering condolences in Diyala on Wednesday (INA)
Top security delegation offering condolences in Diyala on Wednesday (INA)

Iraqi lawmakers and human rights experts have warned against the resurgence of assassinations in the country.

Last week, a colonel was assassinated in Ramadi for unknown reasons. On Tuesday, the renowned cardiologist in Diyala, Dr. Ahmed Talal al-Medfai, was killed, sparking outrage in the province.

Earlier, an activist was assassinated in Babil, south of Baghdad, and environmental activist Jassem al-Asadi was kidnapped and later released after his abduction angered the public.

Meanwhile, member of parliament Ahmed Mazhar confirmed that security in Diyala province has been unstable because of ISIS and its affiliated groups.

Mazhar told Asharq Al-Awsat that the remaining ISIS hideouts are in the Hamrin mountain range between Diyala, Saladin, and Kirkuk.

However, he said armed criminal gangs are attacking and terrorizing the civilians, hinting at political motives, especially since the provincial elections are to be held soon.

Mazhar affirmed that lawmakers are preparing for an emergency session of parliament to discuss the matter.

Furthermore, the head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights Center, Fadel al-Gharawi, indicated that the increase in assassination rates this month threatens Iraqi citizens, stressing that the right to security and safety is one of the fundamental rights that the state must provide for citizens.

Gharawi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the assassinations have various reasons ranging from terrorist, criminal, or tribal motives.

The expert asserted that responding to such operations is primarily the authorities' responsibility, regardless of the motive of the crime, noting that this requires boosting efforts and supporting the security services.

He also believed that security plans should be reviewed, which requires funding the project to install thermographic cameras in all provinces.

Gharawi noted that the Judicial Council must consider the assassinations as terrorist cases, regardless of the motive.

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3 Members of Syrian Security Forces Killed in Clashes with Regime Remnants in Daraa

Defense ministry and security forces gather in Daraa’s town of al-Sanamayn.
Defense ministry and security forces gather in Daraa’s town of al-Sanamayn.
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3 Members of Syrian Security Forces Killed in Clashes with Regime Remnants in Daraa

Defense ministry and security forces gather in Daraa’s town of al-Sanamayn.
Defense ministry and security forces gather in Daraa’s town of al-Sanamayn.

Three members of the Syrian Internal Security Forces and a member of local armed groups were killed in clashes between the country’s new authorities and former military security forces affiliated with the ousted regime in the town of al-Sanamayn in the southern Daraa governorate.

Civilians, including women and children, were wounded in the unrest.

Military reinforcements arrived in the town on Wednesday morning to “raid outlawed armed groups,” a statement from Daraa authorities said, citing Internal Security official Abdul-Razzaq al-Khatib.

“The clashes remain intense in several buildings in the southwestern district of the city,” Khatib said, adding that a security officer was wounded in a direct gunfire attack on a checkpoint in the town on Tuesday.

Gunfights have been reported across Syria since the new authorities took power in Damascus on Dec. 8, with security officials blaming loyalists of the former regime for the unrest.

The authorities have launched security operations targeting what they describe as “remnants of the former regime,” leading to arrests, according to official statements.

Restoring and maintaining security across Syria remains one of the biggest challenges for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, following a devastating civil war that began in 2011 and saw multiple factions involved.

The local news outlet Daraa 24 reported that the deceased were associated with a group led by Mohsen al-Himid, a former operative of the military security branch under the Assad regime.

Al-Himid’s group had been actively involved in the clashes, making them potential targets in the ongoing cycle of retaliatory attacks and factional violence in the region.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group “considers itself above the law” and has continued to defy state authority while committing serious crimes, including murder, armed robbery, theft, kidnapping for ransom, and drug trafficking.

Residents have long called for a crackdown on such gangs, particularly since the fall of the Assad regime, in a bid to rid their communities of groups that “terrorize the population, spread corruption, and destroy society,” the sources added.

The number of outlawed armed groups still operating in parts of Daraa is small, but they continue to fuel insecurity and fear among residents, sources familiar with the situation said.

“The government is determined to restore security and stability across the governorate,” one source told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that these groups are “not factions but criminal gangs.”

Most armed factions, the source noted, have already integrated into the Ministry of Defense.

The Internal Security Forces had launched a security campaign on Feb. 20 targeting remnants of the former regime, as well as drug and arms traffickers.

The operation has also sought to confiscate illegal weapons in the Daraa towns of al-Harah and Nimr, in an effort to tighten security.