UN chief Guterres condemns failed assassination attempt against Iraqi PM, calls for probe

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attack on the residence of Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi and called for punishing those responsible, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Sunday, 7 November. Al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt after drones laden with explosives targetted his home in the capital, Baghdad. It was reported the PM was taken to hospital with only slight injuries, after which he stated that he was alright. 

Following the incident, Dujarric said, "The Secretary-General strongly condemns the assassination attempt against Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi earlier today. He calls for the perpetrators of this crime to be held accountable.”

The UN Spokesperson also said that Guterres has called on all Iraqis to show restraint and “reject all violence and any attempts to destabilise Iraq”. The UN chief even urged Iraqi political forces to resolve differences through peaceful and inclusive dialogue. The UN will continue to stand with the people and Government of Iraq as they strive for a better future, Dujarric added.  

Iraqi PM will expose perpetrators 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Mustafa appeared in video footage published by his office in which he claimed that those behind an attempt on his life were well known and would be exposed. According to a statement from the PM Office (PMO), the perpetrators are the same who killed Nibras Farman, an Iraqi National Intelligence service (INIS) officer. The PMO said that the government has ordered an “immediate investigation” into the events that took place on Sunday. The authorities will put the trespassers behind the bars and bring them to justice “because we do not differentiate between Iraqis,” it added. 

The same day Mustafa met with Iraqi PM Barham Salih and headed security and Cabinet meetings. There was no claim of responsibility, however, the suspicion fell on Iran-backed militias, who had previously also been blamed for attacks on Green Zone. After Mustafa escaped unharmed from the armed drone attack on his residence in the heavily fortified Green Zone, helicopters circled in the Baghdad skies throughout the day, while troops and patrols were deployed around the capital city. Supporters of the Iran-backed militias, on the other hand, held their ground in a protest camp outside the GreenZone to demand a vote recount. 

(Image: AP)