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| Iraq |
| Basra Imam Slain On Way To Prayers |
| 2006-06-16 |
| Basra, 16 June (AKI) - Armed gunmen on Friday killed Yusuf al-Hassani, the prayer leader of the Grand Mosque in Basra and president of the Basra section of the Council of the Ulema. A spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party told Adnkronos International (AKI) that "Hassani, imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque of Basra, was going to the mosque when his convoy was attacked at 12.15 by armed men who opened fire killing him and some of his aides." He also accused "Iranian" Shiite militias of being behind the attack. Basra police spokesman Karim Al-Zaydi confirmed the attack, saying that "the police are carrying out inquiries to clear up the circumstances of the killing". Basra, until some months ago considered one of the calmer cities in Iraq, is under a state of emergency declared by the new prime minister Nouri al-Maliki during his latest visit. Despite this and new security measures some observers in the city say the rate of killings has actually increased. |
| Posted by:Steve |