Iraqi expert on armed groups slain in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi analyst who was a leading expert on the Islamic State and other armed groups was shot dead in Baghdad on Monday after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias.

Gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Hisham al-Hashimi, 47, outside his home in the Zeyouneh area of Baghdad, a relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The family member heard five shots fired.

Security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Al-Hashimi was a wellconnected security analyst who appeared regularly on Iraqi television and whose expertise was sought out by government officials, journalists and researchers.

Iran-backed militias

Weeks before his death, al-Hashimi had told confidantes he feared Iranbacked militias were out to get him. Friends had advised him to flee to the northern city of Irbil, in the semiautonomous Kurdish region.

He rose to prominence as an expert on the inner workings of ISIS and even advised the U.S.-led coalition during its yearslong battle with the extremists.

After Iraq declared victory over ISIS in December 2017, he increasingly turned his attention to the Iran-backed militias that helped to defeat ISIS and now wield considerable power in the country. He was an outspoken critics of some of these groups, which have thousands of heavily armed fighters.

News of his killing spread quickly, with fellow researchers, journalists and others taking to social media to express their condolences.

U.N. official outraged

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Jeanine H ennis Pl ass ch ae rt, expressed shocked at the assassination and said the U.N. strongly denounces the “cowardly act.” In a tweet, she called on the Iraqi government to quickly find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Iraqi researcher Fanar Haddad said al-Hashimi was a “strikingly bright mind and a true gentleman,” calling his death a “major loss and an unforgivable crime.”

Asked what al-Hashimi’s death might signify to critical analysts, he said, “Critical voices are liable to be silenced if and when deemed necessary.” Many saw his death as a worrying sign as the government struggles to rein in the militias.

The Iran-backed groups have been blamed for recent rocket attacks targeting U.S. interests. Authorities launched a raid last week in which they detained 14 members of the Kataib Hezbollah group in Baghdad, but all but one were released days later, in what was seen as a capitulation by the government.

In a statement, al-Kadhimi said Iraqi security forces would “spare no effort” in pursuing his killers.