Senior Iraqi official killed

A senior official in Iraq’s communications ministry was shot dead as he was driving to work in Baghdad on Thursday, a source at the ministry said.

Several officials of Iyad Allawi's government have been targeted

An unknown group of armed men drew up alongside Qassim Imhawi’s car and opened fire as he was travelling from his home in a western district of the capital, the source said.

 

Imhawi was the director-general of the communications ministry and regarded as one of the minister’s top aides.

 

Several senior officials in Iraq‘s ministries have been killed in the past several months, including a director-general in the finance ministry.

 

Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warned his government earlier this week that violence was likely to increase in the run-up to the elections scheduled for 30 January.

Source: Reuters