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Iraqi Protest, Middle East

Women protest: ‘Honour killing’ of YouTuber stirs outrage in Iraq.

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The death of a young YouTube star at the hands of her father has sparked outrage in Iraq, where so-called “honour killings” continue to take place.

Tiba al-Ali, 22, was killed by her father on January 31 in the southern province of Diwaniya, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan said on Twitter on Friday.

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Police had attempted to mediate between al-Ali – who lived in Turkey and was visiting Iraq – and her relatives to “resolve the family dispute in a definitive manner”, Maan said.

Unverified recordings of conversations between al-Ali and her father appeared to indicate that he was unhappy about her decision to live alone in Turkey.

Maan said that after the police’s initial encounter with the family “we were surprised the next day … with the news of her killing at the hands of her father, as he admitted in his initial confessions”.

He did not give further details on the nature of the dispute.

Al-Ali had gained a following on YouTube, where she posted videos of her daily life and in which her fiance often appeared.

A police source speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, meanwhile confirmed that the “family dispute” dated back to 2015.

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Al-Ali had travelled to Turkey with her family in 2017, but upon their return, she refused to join them, choosing instead to stay in Turkey where she has since lived, the police source said.

Translation: There is no ‘honour’ in so-called honour killings..whoever justifies the actions of the criminal that killed Tiba is a criminal himself … and whoever dishonours Tiba’s life is a person without honour.

To date, no law in Iraq criminalises domestic violence.

A draft domestic violence law was first introduced to parliament in 2014, but progress has stalled amid widespread political opposition from legislators who believe it would erode Iraq’s social fabric.

Al-Ali’s death has sparked uproar among Iraqis on social media, who have called for protests in the capital, Baghdad, on Sunday to demand justice in response to her death.

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“Women in our societies are hostage to backward customs due to the absence of legal deterrents and government measures – which currently are not commensurate with the size of domestic violence crimes,” wrote veteran politician Ala Talabani on Twitter.

Rights activist Hanaa Edwar told AFP that, according to voice recordings attributed to the young woman, “she left her family … because she was sexually assaulted by her brother”.

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights also reported the allegation. AFP could not independently verify the authenticity of the voice recordings.

Amnesty International condemned the “horrific” killing, saying “the Iraqi penal code still treats leniently so called ‘honor crimes’ comprising violent acts such as assault and even murder”.

“Until the Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls … we will inevitably continue to witness horrific murders,” Amnesty’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, said

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“Hide in safe keep”: Iran shut borders.

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The violence threatened to deepen the political crisis, though streets elsewhere in the country largely remained calm and the country’s vital oil continued to flow. Neighboring Iran closed off its borders to Iraq and urged its citizens to avoid traveling there, a senior official said, a sign of Tehran’s concern that the chaos could spread.

Iran’s state television said flights had also been halted “until further notice because of the unrest there.”

Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala every year for the ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein. Arbaeen falls on Sept. 16-17 this year.

“The border with Iraq has been closed. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for Iranians to refrain from travelling to Iraq until further notice,” state TV quoted Iran’s deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying.

Live television footage showed supporters of al-Sadr firing both heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades into the heavily fortified Green Zone through a section of pulled-down concrete walls. Bystanders, seemingly oblivious to the danger, filmed the gunfight with their mobile phones.

As al-Sadr’s forces fired, a line of armored tanks stood on the other side of the barriers that surround the Green Zone. Heavy black smoke at one point rose over the area, visible from kilometers (miles) away.

At least one wounded man was taken away in a three-wheel rickshaw, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry visible in the background.

At least 30 people have been killed and over 400 wounded, two Iraqi medical officials said. The toll included both al-Sadr loyalists killed in protests the day before and clashes overnight. Those figures are expected to rise, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to journalists.

Members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim sect were oppressed when Saddam Hussein ruled the country, but the U.S.-led invasion reversed the political order. Now the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with Iranian-backed Shiites and Iraqi nationalist Shiites jockeying for power, influence and state resources.

Al-Sadr’s nationalist rhetoric and reform agenda resonates powerfully with his supporters, who largely hail from Iraq’s poorest sectors of society and were historically been shut out from the political system under Saddam.

His announcement that he is leaving politics has implicitly given his supporters the freedom to act as they see fit.

Iranian state television cited unrest and a military-imposed curfew in Iraqi cities for the reason for the border closures. It urged Iranians to avoid any travel to the neighboring country. The decision came as millions were preparing to visit Iraq for an annual pilgrimage to Shiite sites, and Tehran encouraged any Iranian pilgrims already in Iraq to avoid further travel between cities.

Kuwait, meanwhile, called on its citizens to leave Iraq. The state-run KUNA news agency also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans.

The tiny Gulf Arab sheikhdom of Kuwait shares a 254-kilometer- (158-mile-) long border with Iraq.

The Netherlands evacuated its embassy in the Green Zone, Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted early Tuesday.

“There are firefights around the embassy in Baghdad. Our staff are now working at the German embassy elsewhere in the city,” Hoekstra wrote.

Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. The carrier said that it was “monitoring the situation closely.” It did not say when flights would resume.

On Monday, protesters loyal to al-Sadr pulled down the cement barriers outside the government palace with ropes and breached the palace gates. Many rushed into the lavish salons and marbled halls of the palace, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

Iraq’s military announced a nationwide curfew, and the caretaker premier suspended Cabinet sessions in response to the violence.

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Middle East

al-Sadr’s Quit: Iran shut borders.

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The violence threatened to deepen the political crisis, though streets elsewhere in the country largely remained calm and the country’s vital oil continued to flow. Neighboring Iran closed off its borders to Iraq and urged its citizens to avoid traveling there, a senior official said, a sign of Tehran’s concern that the chaos could spread.

Iran’s state television said flights had also been halted “until further notice because of the unrest there.”

Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala every year for the ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein. Arbaeen falls on Sept. 16-17 this year.

“The border with Iraq has been closed. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for Iranians to refrain from travelling to Iraq until further notice,” state TV quoted Iran’s deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying.

Live television footage showed supporters of al-Sadr firing both heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades into the heavily fortified Green Zone through a section of pulled-down concrete walls. Bystanders, seemingly oblivious to the danger, filmed the gunfight with their mobile phones.

As al-Sadr’s forces fired, a line of armored tanks stood on the other side of the barriers that surround the Green Zone. Heavy black smoke at one point rose over the area, visible from kilometers (miles) away.

At least one wounded man was taken away in a three-wheel rickshaw, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry visible in the background.

At least 30 people have been killed and over 400 wounded, two Iraqi medical officials said. The toll included both al-Sadr loyalists killed in protests the day before and clashes overnight. Those figures are expected to rise, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to journalists.

Members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim sect were oppressed when Saddam Hussein ruled the country, but the U.S.-led invasion reversed the political order. Now the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with Iranian-backed Shiites and Iraqi nationalist Shiites jockeying for power, influence and state resources.

Al-Sadr’s nationalist rhetoric and reform agenda resonates powerfully with his supporters, who largely hail from Iraq’s poorest sectors of society and were historically been shut out from the political system under Saddam.

His announcement that he is leaving politics has implicitly given his supporters the freedom to act as they see fit.

Iranian state television cited unrest and a military-imposed curfew in Iraqi cities for the reason for the border closures. It urged Iranians to avoid any travel to the neighboring country. The decision came as millions were preparing to visit Iraq for an annual pilgrimage to Shiite sites, and Tehran encouraged any Iranian pilgrims already in Iraq to avoid further travel between cities.

Kuwait, meanwhile, called on its citizens to leave Iraq. The state-run KUNA news agency also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans.

The tiny Gulf Arab sheikhdom of Kuwait shares a 254-kilometer- (158-mile-) long border with Iraq.

The Netherlands evacuated its embassy in the Green Zone, Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted early Tuesday.

“There are firefights around the embassy in Baghdad. Our staff are now working at the German embassy elsewhere in the city,” Hoekstra wrote.

Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. The carrier said that it was “monitoring the situation closely.” It did not say when flights would resume.

On Monday, protesters loyal to al-Sadr pulled down the cement barriers outside the government palace with ropes and breached the palace gates. Many rushed into the lavish salons and marbled halls of the palace, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

Iraq’s military announced a nationwide curfew, and the caretaker premier suspended Cabinet sessions in response to the violence.

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Iraqi Turmoil: al-Sadr says ‘he wants peace’ after his Quit.

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Iraq’s powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday and apologized to Iraqis after deadly clashes between rival Shiite Muslim groups.

“This is not a revolution because it has lost its peaceful character,” Sadr said. “The spilling of Iraqi blood is forbidden.”

In a televised address delivered at 1 p.m. (10 a.m. GMT), Sadr set a one-hour deadline for his supporters to leave their protests in the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, where they have occupied parliament for weeks.

“Within 60 minutes, if the Sadrist Movement does not withdraw, including from the sit-in at parliament, then even I will leave the movement,” Sadr said.

His address came a day after the worst violence in the Iraqi capital in years – which follows a 10-month political deadlock since October’s parliamentary election – prompted neighboring Iran to close its border and halt flights to Iraq.

Supporters of al-Sadr fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns into Iraq’s Green Zone as security forces returned fire earlier Tuesday, seriously escalating a monthslong political crisis gripping the nation.

Baghdad’s streets were mostly empty on Tuesday. Gunmen cruised in pickup trucks carrying machine guns and brandishing grenade launchers, but residents observed a curfew. Overnight, sustained gun and rocket fire rang out across the city.

The death toll rose to at least 30 people after two days of unrest, officials said.

Monday’s violence was prompted by al-Sadr’s announcement that he would withdraw from all political activity – a decision he said was in response to the failure of other Shiite leaders and parties to reform a corrupt and decaying governing system.

Those backing cleric al-Sadr earlier stormed the Green Zone, once the stronghold of the United States military that’s now home to Iraqi government offices and foreign embassies. At least one country evacuated its diplomatic personnel amid the chaos.

Iraq’s government has been deadlocked since al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority government – unleashing months of infighting between different Shiite factions. Al-Sadr refused to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals, and his withdrawal Monday has catapulted Iraq into political uncertainty and volatility with no clear path out.

Iran closes border
The violence threatened to deepen the political crisis, though streets elsewhere in the country largely remained calm and the country’s vital oil continued to flow. Neighboring Iran closed off its borders to Iraq and urged its citizens to avoid traveling there, a senior official said, a sign of Tehran’s concern that the chaos could spread.

Iran’s state television said flights had also been halted “until further notice because of the unrest there.”

Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala every year for the ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein. Arbaeen falls on Sept. 16-17 this year.

“The border with Iraq has been closed. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for Iranians to refrain from travelling to Iraq until further notice,” state TV quoted Iran’s deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying.

Live television footage showed supporters of al-Sadr firing both heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades into the heavily fortified Green Zone through a section of pulled-down concrete walls. Bystanders, seemingly oblivious to the danger, filmed the gunfight with their mobile phones.

As al-Sadr’s forces fired, a line of armored tanks stood on the other side of the barriers that surround the Green Zone. Heavy black smoke at one point rose over the area, visible from kilometers (miles) away.

At least one wounded man was taken away in a three-wheel rickshaw, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry visible in the background.

At least 30 people have been killed and over 400 wounded, two Iraqi medical officials said. The toll included both al-Sadr loyalists killed in protests the day before and clashes overnight. Those figures are expected to rise, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to journalists.

Members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim sect were oppressed when Saddam Hussein ruled the country, but the U.S.-led invasion reversed the political order. Now the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with Iranian-backed Shiites and Iraqi nationalist Shiites jockeying for power, influence and state resources.

Al-Sadr’s nationalist rhetoric and reform agenda resonates powerfully with his supporters, who largely hail from Iraq’s poorest sectors of society and were historically been shut out from the political system under Saddam.

His announcement that he is leaving politics has implicitly given his supporters the freedom to act as they see fit.

Iranian state television cited unrest and a military-imposed curfew in Iraqi cities for the reason for the border closures. It urged Iranians to avoid any travel to the neighboring country. The decision came as millions were preparing to visit Iraq for an annual pilgrimage to Shiite sites, and Tehran encouraged any Iranian pilgrims already in Iraq to avoid further travel between cities.

Kuwait, meanwhile, called on its citizens to leave Iraq. The state-run KUNA news agency also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans.

The tiny Gulf Arab sheikhdom of Kuwait shares a 254-kilometer- (158-mile-) long border with Iraq.

The Netherlands evacuated its embassy in the Green Zone, Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted early Tuesday.

“There are firefights around the embassy in Baghdad. Our staff are now working at the German embassy elsewhere in the city,” Hoekstra wrote.

Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. The carrier said that it was “monitoring the situation closely.” It did not say when flights would resume.

On Monday, protesters loyal to al-Sadr pulled down the cement barriers outside the government palace with ropes and breached the palace gates. Many rushed into the lavish salons and marbled halls of the palace, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

Iraq’s military announced a nationwide curfew, and the caretaker premier suspended Cabinet sessions in response to the violence.

— Sign Up For 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕸𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖆 —

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Middle East

al-Sadr’s Quit: Supporters begin withdrawal after he says “stop”

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Iraqi supporters of powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday began withdrawing from capital Baghdad’s Green Zone after he demanded fighting to end between rival Shiite forces and the army that left at least 30 dead and hundreds wounded.

The violence that erupted on Monday pitched al-Sadr loyalists against Shiite factions backed by neighboring Iran, with the sides exchanging gunfire across barricades — violence the United Nations warned risked tipping the war-ravaged country deeper into chaos.

Moments after Sadr’s speech was broadcast live on television, his supporters were seen beginning to leave the Green Zone, and minutes after that, the army lifted a nationwide curfew.

Sadr, a grey-bearded preacher with millions of devoted followers who once led a militia against American and Iraqi government forces after the 2003 U.S.-led overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein, gave followers “60 minutes” to withdraw, after which he threatened to “disavow” those who remained.

“I apologize to the Iraqi people, the only ones affected by the events,” Sadr told reporters from his base in the central Iraqi city of Najaf.

Tensions have soared in Iraq amid a political crisis that has left the country without a new government, prime minister or president for months.

They escalated sharply after Sadr’s supporters on Monday afternoon stormed the government palace inside the high-security Green Zone following their leader’s announcement that he was quitting politics.

‘Dangerous escalation’
Overnight, shelling targeted the Green Zone that houses government buildings and diplomatic missions, amid angry protests after Sadr’s surprised many by announcing his “definitive retirement.”

Clashes continued on Tuesday morning — with the rattle of automatic gunfire and heavier explosions of rocket-propelled grenades — as Sadr’s supporters and the army and men of the Hashed al-Shaabi, former Tehran-backed paramilitaries integrated into the Iraqi forces.

The U.N. mission in Iraq warned of “an extremely dangerous escalation” and called on all sides to “refrain from acts that could lead to an unstoppable chain of events.”

“The very survival of the state is at stake,” it warned.

A mass funeral was held Tuesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf for some of the protesters killed in Baghdad.

Witnesses said earlier that Sadr loyalists and supporters of a rival Shiite bloc, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, had exchanged fire.

The Framework condemned an “attack on state institutions,” urging the Sadrists to engage in dialogue.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi said “security or military forces, or armed men” were prohibited from opening fire on protesters.

‘Disturbing’
The United States also urged calm amid the “disturbing” reports, while France called on “the parties to exercise the utmost restraint”.

Shortly after Sadr made his announcement to step down, his followers burst into the Republican Palace in Baghdad – where cabinet meetings are usually held.

Sadr – a longtime player in the war-torn country’s political scene, though he himself has never directly been in government — announced he was quitting politics two days after he said, “all parties,” including his own, should give up government positions in order to help resolve the political crisis.

His bloc emerged from last year’s election as the biggest in the legislature, with 73 seats, but short of a majority.

In June, his lawmakers quit in a bid to break the logjam, which led to the Coordination Framework becoming the largest bloc.

Iraq has been mired in political deadlock since legislative elections in October last year due to disagreement between Shiite factions over forming a coalition.

Sadr’s supporters have for weeks been staging a sit-in outside Iraq’s parliament, after storming the legislature’s interior on July 30, demanding fresh elections be held.

The Coordination Framework wants a new head of government to be appointed before any new polls are held

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al-Sadr’s Quit: Hundreds injured, not less than twelve dead in boiling tension.

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At least 12 protesters have reportedly been shot dead and hundreds of others injured on Monday after supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Iraq’s government palace shortly after the influential Shiite cleric announced he was withdrawing from politics.

Shots were fired in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone that houses government buildings as well as diplomatic missions, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent said, as tensions soared amid an escalating political crisis that has left Iraq without a new government, prime minister or president for months.

Medics told AFP that 12 al-Sadr supporters had been shot dead and 270 other protesters were hurt – some with bullet wounds and others suffering tear gas inhalation.

Witnesses said earlier that al-Sadr loyalists and supporters of a rival Shiite bloc, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, had exchanged fire.

Angry protestors stormed the Republican Palace, a key meeting place inside the Green Zone for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries, for the first time. On July 30, they stormed the parliament building to deter al-Sadr’s rivals from forming a government.

Iraq’s military swiftly announced a city-wide curfew for civilians and vehicles on Monday to quell rising tensions and the possibility of clashes.

Supporters of al-Sadr filled lavish waiting rooms in the palace and chanted slogans in support of the cleric.

Al-Sadr said earlier Monday he was quitting politics and closing his institutions in response to an intractable political deadlock, a decision that could fuel instability.

“I’ve decided not to meddle in political affairs. I therefore announce now my definitive retirement,” said al-Sadr, a longtime player in the war-torn country’s political scene, though he himself has never directly been in government.

He made the announcement on Twitter, where he added that “all the institutions” linked to his Sadrist movement will be closed, except the mausoleum of his father, assassinated in 1999, and other heritage facilities.

His latest statement came two days after he said “all parties” including his own should give up government positions in order to help resolve the monthslong political crisis.

Since legislative elections in October last year, political deadlock has left the country without a new government, prime minister or president, due to disagreement between factions over forming a coalition.

His bloc emerged from last year’s election as the biggest, with 73 seats, but short of a majority. In June, his lawmakers quit in a bid to break the logjam, which led to a rival Shiite bloc, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, becoming the largest in the legislature.

Since then, al-Sadr has engaged in other pressure tactics, including a mass prayer by tens of thousands of his followers on Aug. 5.

Millions of followers
His supporters have been calling for parliament to be dissolved and for new elections, but on Saturday he said it is “more important” that “all parties and figures who have been part of the political process” since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion “no longer participate.”

“That includes the Sadrist movement,” he said, adding that he was willing to sign an agreement to that effect “within 72 hours.”

The gray-bearded preacher has millions of devoted followers and once led a militia against American and Iraqi government forces, following the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein in the invasion.

Over the years, the chameleon-like figure has taken various positions and then reversed them.

Al-Sadr’s supporters have for weeks been staging a sit-in outside Iraq’s parliament, after initially storming the legislature’s interior on July 30, to press their demands.

They were angered after the Coordination Framework nominated a candidate they saw as unacceptable for prime minister.

The framework wants a new head of government to be appointed before any new polls are held.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi earlier this month convened crisis talks with party leaders, but the Sadrists boycotted.

Iraqis say the political infighting has nothing to do with their day-to-day struggles.

Iraq has been ravaged by decades of conflict and endemic corruption.

Oil-rich but blighted by ailing infrastructure, unemployment, power cuts and crumbling public services, Iraq now also faces water shortages as drought ravages swathes of the country.

As a result of past deals, the Sadrists have representatives at the highest levels of government ministries and have been accused by their opponents of being as corrupt as other political forces.

But supporters of al-Sadr view him as a champion of the anti-corruption fight

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Iraq: Chaos as al-Sadr quits.

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Muqtada al-Sadr’s ‘final withdrawal’ from politics announcement spurred followers to violently force their way into Baghdad’s presidential palace.

Iraq’s powerful Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr announced he is quitting political life for good and closing his political offices in a move that could further inflame tensions in the country.

Gunfire rang out in the Green Zone and security forces launched tear gas cannisters on Monday to disperse al-Sadr supporters converging on the area. At least two people were killed and 19 wounded, police and medical workers said.

Al-Sadr’s statement, published on Twitter, came after months of protests by supporters backing his call for the dissolution of the Iraqi parliament, which has seen 10 months of deadlock – representing the longest Iraq has gone without a government – and for new elections to be held.

“I hereby announce my final withdrawal,” al-Sadr said.

He added “all the institutions” linked to his Sadrist movement will be closed, except the mausoleum of his father, assassinated in 1999, and other heritage facilities.

The announcement was quickly met with escalation from al-Sadr’s supporters, who stormed the presidential palace, a ceremonial building inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone of government buildings.


Hundreds pulled down the cement barriers outside the palace with ropes and breached its gates. Many rushed into its lavish salons and marbled halls of the building, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

Supporters, who have gathered at a sit-in since the end of July near the Iraqi parliament, also approached a counter-protest held by al-Sadr’s Shia rivals. The two sides hurled rocks at each other

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Iraqi KRG works to form 2 oil firms as Irbil-Baghdad tensions rise.

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Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is working to establish two oil firms, the latest move in the battle between Irbil and Baghdad to control the oil sector in the semi-autonomous region.

The KRG’s new oil firm KROC would specialize in oil exploration, while the second – KOMO – would focus on oil exports and marketing from the semi-autonomous region, a spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

The regional government has presented the idea and discussed it with the federal government in Baghdad recently, the KRG spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement follows months of disputes between Irbil and Baghdad after a February federal court ruling that deemed the legal foundations of the Kurdistan region’s oil and gas sector unconstitutional.

The oil ministry in Baghdad has since made fresh attempts to control revenue from the KRG region, including summoning seven firms operating there to a commercial court on May 19. The firms were Addax, DNO, Genel, Gulf Keystone, HKN, Shamaran and WesternZagros.

The commercial court sitting has been postponed twice as some of the representation for these international oil firms did not have power of attorney, several sources told Reuters. The court session is due to resume on Monday, June 20.

As well as announcing plans to establish its own oil company in the KRG, the Iraqi oil ministry has ordered international lead contractors and subcontractors through Basrah Oil (BOC) and Iraq’s national oil firm (Inoc) to pledge not to work on contracts or projects there.

Through letters sent on June 7 and 12, the firms were given three months to terminate existing contracts or projects in the KRG oil sector or face being blacklisted, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The oil ministry is using two law firms – Vincent and Elkins and Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton – to help with gaining control of the KRG oil sector, according to two sources. Both firms have declined to comment.

The KRG has repeatedly rejected the federal court ruling. On June 5, the KRG’s ministry of natural resources filed a civil suit against the minister of oil in Baghdad, Ihsan Ismael, for sending emails and letters to allegedly intimidate oil firms operating in the KRG and interfere with the contractual rights of these firms and the KRG, according to a June 13 statement.

Also on June 5, the Irbil court of investigation ruled that the commercial court sessions against international oil firms must be brought to the Irbil court.

There have been years of attempts by the federal government to bring KRG revenues under its control, including local court rulings and threats of international arbitration.

The implications of the latest dispute are not fully clear as more than eight months since elections in Iraq, the formation of a government is still underway.

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Drink This Homemade Juice Everyday And Punish Your Woman – She Would Come Back Again

Do this at least once a day for a brighter vision even at 80.

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In the news

Deadly Baghdad explosion kills 32. [Photos]

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Videos from Thursday’s attack show scenes of chaos, with people running for cover and bodies strewn across pavements and the road.

Suicide bombing that tore through a busy area of central Baghdad on Thursday morning, Iraqi officials said.

Ministry of Defence Spokesperson Yahya Rasool told NoRM‘s known Media one of the two perpetrators lured a crowd of people towards him in a market in the central Tayaran Square by feigning illness, only to detonate his explosives.

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The second bomber struck as people helped victims of the first attack, Rasool said.

The attack is the first twin bombing in Baghdad since January 2018, when 35 people were killed and 90 injured in the same square that was targeted on Thursday.

The health ministry said the capital’s hospitals were being mobilised to treat the wounded. While officials suggested the death toll is likely to rise as many of those injured in the attack are in critical condition.

No one immediately took responsibility for the attack.

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But Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq analyst and fellow at The Century Foundation think-tank, told NoRM‘s known Media: “This kind of attack bears the hallmark of ISIS [ISIL] who have targeted crowded civilian areas in Baghdad with suicide attacks many times in the past.”

“This shows a security failure by the government who have been warned that ISIS is still active and in recent days have seen it target infrastructure and rural areas with similar attacks,” said Jiyad.

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“For Iraqis, this is a worrying development which saps confidence in the security forces and adds to the level of tension already present with geopolitical, economic and pandemic issues,” he said.

Iraq declared ISIL defeated at the end of 2017 after a fierce three-year campaign.

But ISIL attacks across the country have been on the rise again over the past year, particularly in northern Iraq where sleeper cells are still active.

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By Thursday afternoon the area surrounding the market had come back to life. But some stalls near the blasts remained shut and a small crowd of people had gathered to examine the wreckage.

Dry blood was still visible on the tarmac, while the charred remains of toys and clothes once sold by vendors littered the floor.

The Kurdistan Region Government Head of Foreign Relations Safeen Dizaye condemned Thursday’s attack.

“This horrific crime is a sad reminder that terror is still a real threat to peace and stability in the world. [The international] community must stand united against all acts of terrorism,” Dizaye wrote in a tweet.

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The United States embassy in Iraq also strongly condemned the attack in a statement.

“This attack is a reprehensible act of cowardice that underscores the dangers of terrorism that millions of Iraqis continue to face. We extend our condolences to the families of these victims, and hope for the swift recovery for those who were injured,” it said.

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#Newsworthy

In the news

Rare twin Baghdad blasts claim over 25 lives.

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The jihadist factions seized a third of Iraq in 2014 and was dangerously close to the capital, but a ferocious three-year fight by Iraqi troops pushed them back.

A rare twin suicide bombing killed nearly 30 people at a crowded market in central Baghdad on Thursday, Iraqi state media said, the city’s deadliest attack in three years.

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At least 28 people were killed and another 73 wounded in the attack amid stalls hawking second-hand clothes in the Iraqi capital’s Tayaran Square.

The market had been teeming with people after the lifting of nearly a year of restrictions imposed across the country in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19.

According to an interior ministry statement, the first suicide bomber rushed into the market, claiming to feel sick.

Once a crowd of people had gathered around him, he detonated his explosives.

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As people then flocked around the victims, a second attacker detonated his bomb, the ministry said.

An AFP photographer at the scene said security forces had cordoned off the area, where blood-soaked clothes were strewn across the muddy streets.

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Paramedics were working to remove casualties, and Iraq’s health ministry said it had mobilised medics across the capital.

Thursday’s attack was the bloodiest incident in Baghdad since January 2018, when a suicide bomber killed more than 30 people in the same square.

Suicide bombings had been commonplace in Baghdad during the sectarian bloodletting that followed the US-led invasion of 2003.

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Later on, as the Islamic State group swept across much of Iraq, its jihadists also targeted the capital.

But with the group’s territorial defeat in late 2017, suicide bombings in the city became rare.

Baghdad’s notorious concrete blast walls were dismantled and checkpoints across the city removed.

‘Despicable act’
President Barham Saleh led political figures in condemning Thursday’s attack, saying the government would “stand firmly against these rogue attempts to destabilise our country.”

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United Nations’ Iraq mission (UNAMI) also offered condolences to the victims.

“Such a despicable act will not weaken Iraq’s march towards stability and prosperity,” UNAMI said in an online statement.

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Thursday’s attack comes as Iraqis prepare for an election, events often preceded by bombings and assassinations.

The 2018 attack took place just a few months before Iraq’s last round of parliamentary elections.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi had originally set this year’s general election for June, nearly a year ahead of schedule, in response to widespread protests in 2019.

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But authorities are in talks over rescheduling them to October, to give electoral authorities more time to register voters and new parties.

Thursday’s twin attack was not immediately claimed but suicide bombings have been used by jihadist groups, most recently IS.

Still, the group’s sleeper cells have continued to operate in desert and mountain areas, typically targeting security forces or state infrastructure with low casualty attacks.

Still, the US-led coalition that had been supporting Iraq’s campaign against IS has significantly drawn down its troop levels over the past year, citing the increased capabilities of Iraqi troops.

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The United States, which provides the bulk of the force, has 2,500 troops left in Iraq — down from 5,200 a year ago.

They are mainly in charge of training, providing drone surveillance and carrying out airstrikes while Iraqi security forces handle security in urban areas.

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#Newsworthy

In the news

Baghdad Court order Trump’s arrest after being permanently suspended

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Invoking it would require Vice President Michael Pence to lead the cabinet in a vote on removing him.

A Baghdad court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, as part of its investigation into the killing of a top Iraqi paramilitary commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

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Al-Muhandis, who was the Deputy Head of Iraq’s largely pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network, was killed in the same US drone strike that took out Iranian general Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport on January 3 last year.

Trump, who ordered the strike, subsequently boasted that it had taken out “two (men) for the price of one”.

The UN special rapporteur for an extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, has called the twin killings as “arbitrary” and “illegal”.

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Iran already issued a warrant for the arrest of Trump in June and asked Interpol to relay it as a so-called red notice to other police forces around the world.

The court for east Baghdad has now issued the warrant for Trump’s arrest under Article 406 of the penal code, which provides for the death penalty in all cases of premeditated murder, the judiciary said.

The court said the preliminary inquiry had been completed but “investigations are continuing to unmask the other culprits in this crime, be they Iraqis or foreigners.”

Meanwhile, some members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet on Wednesday opened discussion on the possibility of removing Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol, according to reports by three US news channels.

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The discussions focused on the 25th amendment to the US Constitution, which allows for a president’s removal by the vice president and cabinet if he is judged “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

NoRM quoted undisclosed Republican leaders saying the 25th amendment had been discussed, saying they had described Trump as “out of control.”

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#Newsworthy

In the news

France president, Macron, first foreign leader to visit Iraq since May.

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French president is the first foreign leader to visit Iraq since PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi formed a government in May.

French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in Baghdad on his first official trip to Iraq, where he hopes to help the country reassert its “sovereignty” after years of conflict.

Macron is the first head of state to visit the Iraqi capital since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s former intelligence chief, formed a new government in May.

The French leader is expected to meet al-Kadhimi and President Barham Salih at the presidential palace during his day-long trip on Wednesday, which comes amid a severe economic crisis and coronavirus pandemic that has put a huge strain on Iraqi economy and politics.

The visit would be of “great importance, as it’s the third by French officials in a single month,” said Husham Dawood, an adviser to the Iraqi premier.

Speaking in Lebanon on Tuesday night while concluding his two-day visit there, Macron said he was heading to Baghdad “to launch an initiative alongside the United Nations to support a process of sovereignty”.

In Lebanon, Macron offers the carrot or the stick
“The fight for Iraq’s sovereignty is essential,” Macron had told reporters on Friday, before departing for Lebanon.

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He said Iraqis, who “suffered so much”, deserved options besides domination by regional powers or groups such as ISIL (ISIS).

“There are leaders and a people who are aware of this, and who want to take their destiny in hand. The role of France is to help them do so,” Macron said.

Macron will hold a series of high-level meetings during his visit [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]

He said he would also discuss the case of French citizens who fought with ISIL, which was defeated in Iraq in 2017 with international support. Nearly a dozen French ISIL members have been sentenced to death before Iraqi courts.

Macron is also expected to meet Nechirvan Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.

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Soon after winning the presidency in 2017, Macron had tried to mediate between the Kurdish north and the federal government, but financial and security disputes between the two sides remain unresolved.

US-Iran tensions
After a United States-led invasion toppled former president Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq was ravaged by waves of sectarian conflict that culminated in ISIL capturing swaths of the country six years ago.

At the same time, the country has been caught for years between its two main allies, Iran and the United States, a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washington’s withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.

France is among the European nations that remain key backers of the 2015 agreement.

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Al-Kadhimi, who is backed by the US, assumed office on May 7 when Baghdad’s relations with Washington were precarious. Like previous Iraqi leaders, he has to walk a tightrope amid the US-Iran rivalry.

The January assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and top Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the US in Baghdad prompted demands by Shia legislators that US forces leave Iraq.

Al-Kadhimi visited Washington last month, where he held talks with President Donald Trump. He said his administration is committed to introducing security reforms as rogue militia groups stage near-daily attacks against the seat of his government.

Other crises for al-Kadhimi include slashed state coffers in the crude oil-dependent country following a severe drop in prices, adding to the woes of an economy already struggling amid the pandemic.

#Newsworthy…

In the news

Iraq’s invasion on Kuwait 30 years ago

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On August 2, 1990, the army of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein swarmed into neighbouring Gulf emirate Kuwait, annexing the small oil-rich territory.

Seven months later, Iraq was chased out by a US-led international coalition, leaving behind a devastated and pillaged Kuwait, and 750 oil wells ablaze.

Here is a recap of the conflict and its aftermath:

– Accusations –
On July 18, 1990, tensions spiral after Iraq accuses Kuwait of stealing petrol from the Rumaila oil field and encroaching on its territory.

Saddam demands $2.4 billion from the emirate.

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Kuwait counters, saying Iraq is trying to drill oil wells on its territory.

It is one of several disputes, the most complex involving their border — a bone of contention since Kuwait’s independence in 1961.

Iraq also accuses the emirate of flooding the oil market, driving down crude prices.

Attempts by the Arab League and Saudi Arabia to mediate an end to the crisis fail and talks are suspended on August 1.

– Invasion –
The next day, Iraq invades.

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“Iraqi troops began at 2 a.m. local time to violate our northern borders, to enter Kuwait territory and to occupy positions within Kuwait,” Radio Kuwait announces in its first news bulletin.

It is followed by patriotic music and calls on Kuwaitis “to defend their land, their sand and their dunes”.

Violent clashes with heavy weaponry break out in Kuwait City between Kuwaiti units and the Iraqi army.

Faced with 100,000 Iraqi troops and 300 tanks, the 16,000-strong Kuwaiti army is overwhelmed.

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The capital falls that morning and Kuwait’s head of state Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad Al-Sabah flees to Saudi Arabia.

His brother Fahd is killed as Iraqi troops seize the palace.

In Baghdad official radio announces the end of the “traitor regime” it accuses of being an accomplice in an “American Zionist plot”, aimed at undermining the recovery of the Iraqi economy.

– Shockwaves –
The international community condemns the invasion and oil prices soar on world markets.

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At an emergency meeting, the UN Security Council demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Washington freezes Iraqi assets in the US and its subsidiaries abroad, along with Kuwaiti assets, to prevent them benefiting Baghdad.

The Soviet Union, Iraq’s main arms supplier, halts its deliveries.

On August 6, the UN Security Council slaps a trade, financial and military embargo on Iraq.

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Two days later, the US president George H.W. Bush announces he is sending troops to Saudi Arabia.

Iraq closes its borders to foreigners. Thousands of western, Arab and Asian civilians are held against their will in Iraq or Kuwait, with some 500 people used for months as human shields at strategic sites.

– Annexation –
On August 8, Baghdad announces Kuwait’s “total and irreversible” incorporation into Iraq.

Later in the month, Iraq annexes the emirate as its 19th province.

“Kuwait is part of Iraq,” Saddam declares.

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– Liberation –
On November 29, the UN Security Council authorises the use of “all necessary means” to force Iraq out of Kuwait if it has not withdrawn its troops voluntarily by January 15, 1991.

Baghdad rejects the ultimatum.

On January 17, after diplomatic initiatives fail, Operation Desert Storm is launched with intensive bombardments of Iraq and Kuwait.

On February 24, Bush announces a ground offensive.

The allied troops free the emirate in days.

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Bush announces on February 27 the liberation of Kuwait and the cessation of hostilities the next day, at 0400 GMT.

Iraq accepts all UN resolutions.

The crisis divides Arab states.

Egyptian and Syrian armies take part in the coalition, but it is denounced by other Arab countries.

More than a decade later, in 2003, Kuwait serves as a bridgehead for the US-led invasion of Iraq, which leads to the overthrow of Saddam.

#Newsworthy…

    In the news

    Breaking: Zarif’s visit to Baghdad won’t address Iraqi gov’t power “Dynamic”

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    Zarif’s first visit to Baghdad since assassination of General Qassem Soleimani aims to mend strained relations.

    Iran’s foreign minister arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Sunday to discuss several issues related to political, commercial and security matters, in an attempt to patch up relations with the government.

    Ties between Baghdad and Tehran have been strained since the United States assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani – the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – and deputy commander of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in January.

    Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed his country’s belief on “maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq” and that a “stable and powerful” Iraq was in the interest of both countries.

    “That is why we look forward to continued constructive bilateral negotiations. The stability, security and peace in Iraq is the stability of the entire region,” he said.

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    John Bolton on Iran, North Korea and ‘accountability’ for US wars
    For his part, Fuad Hussein said his country looked forward to continuing its “balanced relations” with all the countries in the region “based on first our national interest, then on mutual interest with our neighbours without any interfering in our domestic affairs”.

    Iraqi security analyst Ahmad al-Abyad told Media (known to Noble Reporters Media), that Zarif’s visit, which comes a day before Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi travels to Saudi Arabia, is no coincidence.

    “Zarif’s visit carried two messages,” he said. “One is a cushioned warning to al-Kadhimi not to go forward with attempts to shore up economic links with the Gulf states, and the other is a message of mediation to its regional rival Saudi Arabia.”

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    Another Baghdad-based security analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera one of the main topics of discussion will be about the al-Munthiriya border crossing with Iran, which has long been used as a smuggling route to Lebanon and Syria in terms of weaponry and fighters.

    “The PMF used to be in control of the border, but after a no-fly zone was imposed it has gotten harder to smuggle weapons across,” the analyst said, adding the crossing is now under Iraq’s security forces and Counter Terrorism Service (CTS).

    The other topic of interest will be about preparations for the religious pilgrimage season known as the Arbaeen, which takes places in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala in two months’ time following the end of the 40-day mourning period for Ashoura.

    Yet regarding efforts to curb the PMF’s influence on the political and security front, the analyst said Zarif was not the right person to act as a buffer between the umbrella group and Iraq’s government.

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    “The PMF file is in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards, not Iran’s foreign office,” he said.

    Sarmad al-Bayati, an Iraqi political analyst, said Zarif’s visit will focus more on bilateral relations between the two countries.

    “The Iranian foreign minister did not come to Baghdad to discuss the PMF,” he said. “It is more likely that he will talk about the killing of Soleimani and al-Muhandis instead.”

    PMF’s sphere of influence
    Prime Minister al-Kadhimi has been a strong advocate of Iraq’s sovereignty, and has upset armed groups within Iraq that are affiliated to Iran, such as Kataib Hezbollah. At the end of last June, al-Khadimi ordered a raid on Kataib Hezbollah’s offices in Baghdad, which led to the arrest of 14 fighters.

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    Kataib Hezbollah in turn and other armed groups within the PMF have accused al-Kadhimi of assisting the US in its assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, which has created a rift within the prime minister’s government.

    The PMF, which is made up of dozens of mostly Shia militias that are dominated by powerful factions who take their orders from Iran, enjoys political influence as it dominates dozens of seats in parliament through the Fatah Alliance and State of Law coalitions.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) meets with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Baghdad [Murtadha al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images]

    Incorporated within the Iraqi government in 2016 following the defeat of the armed group ISIL (ISIS), the sphere of influence of the PMF has only continued to grow.

    Critics point out the PMF, backed by Iran, has expanded its authority on the political, economic and security front. In 2019, it received $2.16bn from the defence budget, yet it is independent from any control or oversight by the Iraqi defence ministry.

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    “Security-wise it controls the liberated areas that were previously under ISIS, which includes many border areas and land ports,” al-Abyad told Al Jazeera.

    “Its control has spread inside and outside the cities and has its own security and intelligence services. It has become a force that exceeds the ability of the government, and it runs parallel to the Revolutionary Guards project in Iran.”

    The Baghdad-based anonymous security expert said the PMF and its proxy armed groups also “wield influence on the streets of Baghdad”.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif makes a speech at a news conference in Baghdad [Murtadha al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images]

    “Whoever stands against them – politically, legally, ideologically – find themselves killed, imprisoned, or persecuted,” he said. “My good friend and colleague Hisham al-Hashemi was neither the first nor the last to be killed.”

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    Al-Hashemi, a well-known and top security analyst, was shot dead by unknown gunmen outside his home in the capital earlier this month.

    Following the government raid on Kataib Hezbollah’s offices last month, al-Hashemi provided his social media followers with insights over allegations the group was behind rocket attacks on US and other diplomatic interests in Iraq.

    The group quickly issued a statement on its Telegram channel denying responsibility for his killing.

      “Activists and members of rights groups fear for their lives because they do not trust nor can count on the Iraqi government to hold accountable the armed groups behind targeted killings,” the security expert said.

      #Newsworthy…

      In the news

      (When you think it’s over) – U.S launches air raids in Iraq.

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      …after deadly rocket attack.

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      •

      The United States has launched a series of air raids in Iraq against several locations of an Iran-backed militia that it blamed for an earlier rocket attack that killed and wounded US and British troops.

      Among the facilities attacked late on Thursday was an airport under construction in the holy city of Karbala, an Iraqi airport official confirmed.

      Iraq’s military said in a statement that the US air raids hit four locations in the country.

      In a statement, the Pentagon said the US conducted “defensive precision strikes” against Kataib Hezbollah facilities across Iraq.

      “These weapons-storage facilities include facilities that housed weapons used to target US and coalition troops,” it said.

      Separately, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described the air raids as a “proportionate” response to the rocket attack south of the capital, Baghdad that killed two US troops and a British soldier.

      “UK forces are in Iraq with coalition partners to help the country counter terrorist activity and anyone seeking to harm them can expect a strong response,” Raab said in a statement.

      NobleReporters, heard that aside from Kataib Hezbollah, other militia groups under the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) were also hit south of Iraq’s capital as well as in Babylon and Karbala.

      So far, there have been injuries reported following the attacks, but no confirmation on fatalities, she said.

      A US official told The Associated Press news agency news agency that the raids were a joint operation with the British. The officials spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

      Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump gave the Pentagon the authority to respond after a rocket barrage killed two US troops and a British soldier, again raising tensions with Iran after the two countries came to the brink of war earlier this year.

      Washington had blamed Kataib Hezbollah for a strike in December that killed a US contractor, leading to a cycle of tit-for-tat confrontations that culminated in the January 3 US assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and a retaliatory Iranian missile attack that left more than 100 US troops with brain injuries.

      In the latest rocket attack, responsibility for which has not been claimed, some 14 US-led coalition personnel were also wounded, including US , British, Polish and others. Private industry contractors were among the wounded.

      Following the retaliatory attack, Iran warned Trump against taking “dangerous actions”.

      “Instead of dangerous actions and baseless accusations, Mr Trump should reconsider the presence and behaviour of his troops in the area,” foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a statement.

      N.Rs learnt it remains to be seen how the militia groups will respond to the retaliatory strikes, but added that the latest attacks are likely to once again ignite calls in Iraq for the expulsion of US troops.

      She noted that the Popular Mobilisation Forces commanders have already come out to condemn the latest raids “as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

      Kataib Hezbollah was one of the Iraqi militia groups that helped defeat the ISIL (ISIS) group.

      #Newsworthy…

      In the news

      U.S vs Iran: Rockets landed close to US embassy in Baghdad

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      There are reports that two rockets landed near the US embassy in Baghdad on Monday. The extent of damage is not clear yet. Also not clear was where the rockets came from.

      A BBC reporter Nafiseh Kohnavard near the scene confirmed the rockets in a tweet and said alarms were sounded warning people to take cover.

      #Breaking

      “Rocket attack alarms sounding off multiple times on the #US #Baghdad Embassy Complex and Union III. Heard the booms myself on Union III. Speakers telling all to take shelter immediately.” pic.twitter.com/F1lpbWm9RE

      — Nafiseh Kohnavard (@nafisehkBBC) January 20, 2020

      In recent times, rockets had targeted some military bases used by the US soldiers, after Iranian missile attacks on 8 January on Al Asad and Erbil air bases. Although the US initially claimed no person was injured or killed, a dew days ago, the Pentagon admitted some injuries to 11 US soldiers.

      The US has blamed recent rocket attacks on the Green Zone on Iran-backed paramilitary groups. There has never been a claim of responsibility.

      *This is a developing story.

      #Newsworthy…