BAGHDAD (AP) — Masked gunmen shot dead a human rights activist and mother of four outside a supermarket in Basra on Tuesday, a brazen afternoon assassination that threatens to worsen tensions in the southern city wracked by violent protests. Al-Ali, 46, was killed on the spot while her husband was wounded and was being treated in a hospital. Angry Basra residents have repeatedly taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest failing government services, including water contamination that sent tens of thousands to hospitals. The events in Basra reflect the growing influence of the militias, which played a major role in retaking Iraqi territory from Islamic State militants, who are Sunni Muslims. Some militia leaders in Basra accused protesters of colluding with the US, which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq.

Source: Egypt Independent September 25, 2018 16:52 UTC