BAGHDAD, July 7 (NNN-NINA) – Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi pledged to pursue the assassins of Hisham al-Hashimi, a well-known Iraqi political and security expert, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the capital Baghdad.
A statement by the prime minister’s media office said, al-Kadhimi held an outlawed militant group responsible for the assassination and pledged to pursue the killers.
“We pledge to pursue the killers to bring them to justice, and we will not allow the assassins to return to Iraq, to undermine security and stability,” the statement quoted al-Kadhimi as saying.
The Iraqi leader described al-Hashimi as an opinion-maker and a supportive voice for the Iraqi forces, during the war against the Daesh militants, according to the statement.
Earlier in the day, an Interior Ministry source said, al-Hashimi was shot dead in the evening, in Zaiyouna district, in eastern Baghdad, when gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire at his car near his house.
Al-Hashimi received more than 20 bullets and was transferred to a hospital where he was announced dead, the source said.
Al-Hashimi, who specialised in the affairs of the Sunni and Shiite armed groups, is known for his support for the anti-government protests that broke out last Oct, and his strong criticism of armed groups and militias.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.– NNN-NINA
