ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities have arrested five individuals suspected of involvement in the assassination of a parliamentary candidate, only weeks before Iraq is set to hold its legislative elections.
In a statement, the Iraqi Interior Ministry declared on Tuesday that a force from the ministry, “in coordination with the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF] security, carried out precise qualitative operations that resulted in the arrest of five suspects involved in the martyrdom of Baghdad Provincial Council member Safaa al-Mashhadani.”
Mashhadani, a member of Baghdad’s provincial council, was killed last week in a car bomb attack in northern Baghdad’s Tarmiah district. Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) later stated that a sticky explosive device had been planted under his Chevrolet Tahoe.
The arrest of the five suspects was based on judicial arrest warrants and “followed intense intelligence and field efforts, and continuous investigations that led to the identification of the suspects' locations and their lawful arrest,” the ministry added on Tuesday.
“Investigations are still ongoing under judicial supervision, and the ministry will provide the public with details once the proper procedures are complete,” the statement concluded.
The development comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani - who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces - had ordered the creation of “a joint forensic technical team and a high-level investigative committee” to determine the circumstances surrounding Mashhadani’s assassination last week.
The escalation of violence against candidates comes only weeks ahead of Iraq’s upcoming elections, slated for November 11.
Just one day after Mashhadani’s killing, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) lawmaker Mahma Khalil reported that his office in Shingal (Sinjar) had been set on fire by “unknown individuals.”
Deputy Commander of Baghdad’s Joint Operations Command, Qais al-Muhammadawi - who currently heads the Supreme Committee for Election Security - told Rudaw last week that a widescale plan has been devised to secure the November ballot.
According to data provided by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), 31 alliances, 38 parties, 23 independent candidates and 56 minority quota candidates are running in the elections.
A total of 7,768 candidates - including 5,520 men and 2,248 women - will compete for 329 parliamentary seats, nine of which are reserved for minorities.
Over 39,000 polling stations will be open across 8,703 centers for the general vote, with an additional 4,501 stations designated for special voting. Displaced persons will vote at 97 polling stations located in and around camps in the Kurdistan Region.
More than 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, following a recent nationwide update of biometric voter registration.