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Terrorism in Basra: Iraqi government opponents are eliminated one by one

A wave of assassinations is hitting the southern city, one of the country's main protests. The prime minister, who is in the United States, condemned and promised to punish those responsible, who are suspected of being linked to pro-Iranian militias. Among those killed - a doctor who led women's marches

• Iraq
• in trouble
• Mustafa al-Kazimi

News agencies

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A wave of assassinations of anti-government activists has hit the city of Basra in southern Iraq in recent days, one of the hotspots for protests against the government. Yesterday, Riham Yaakov, a local doctor who treated the wounded in demonstrations, was shot dead after gunmen opened fire on a car in the city. Security and health sources told Reuters that three other people were injured in the incident during which masked men fired at a motorcycle at the vehicle. Yaakov has been active in the protest movement since 2018 and has led several women's marches.

The series of incidents began last Friday, when activist Hussein Osama was shot dead in the city. Following the assassination, demonstrations resumed in the city for three days, and security forces fired live ammunition after protesters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the governor's house. In response, Prime Minister Musta al-Kazimi ousted the city police chief and security chiefs and ordered an investigation into the violence against protesters.

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Al-Kazimi, the former head of intelligence services, is visiting the United States and is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump. He promised to curb pro-Iranian Shiite militias when he took office in May, after months of chaos. Recently, however, attacks on U.S. forces in the country have intensified, by launching rockets at military bases and launching explosives against convoys of the International Coalition.

"Everything is being done to ensure that the security forces fulfill their role," the Iraqi prime minister promised after Yaakov's assassination. "Cooperation with the killers and surrender to their threats are not acceptable and everything necessary will be done for the Ministry of the Interior and the Security Services to fulfill their mission of protecting the security of civilians from threats from lawbreakers."

In Washington, Iraq is being called upon to dismantle the existence of armed groups that do not operate within the regular security forces. Some are close to Iran and are putting pressure on the prime minister to lead to the removal of US forces from the country, as approved by parliament after the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani and Iraqi senior militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes in January. The assassination almost led to a full-scale war between Iran and the United States, after Tehran launched missiles at US bases in Iraq.

By the time the corona plague began to hit Iraq, thousands of people had taken to the streets of Basra, Baghdad and other cities in protest of corruption, high unemployment, the collapse of civilian services and foreign intervention, including by Iran. They demand a profound change in Iraq's political system, which since the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 has been based on a division of roles according to ethnic and religious identity.

More than 500 people were killed during the demonstrations by security forces and gunmen suspected of being linked to pro-Iranian militias. Thousands more were injured. The prime minister promised that those responsible for killing the protesters would be punished and offered the families of those killed monetary compensation. He is also trying to advance the election, at the request of protesters, and hold it in June.

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