Drone strike kills Sunni tribal leader in Iraq’s Diyala province

The Sunni tribal leader from the Turkmen minority was killed when a drone dropped explosive near his guesthouse in central Kifri town

By Reuters
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April 01, 2024
People, rescuers and security forces gather around a vehicle hit by a drone strike, reportedly killing three people, including two leaders of a pro-Iran group, in Baghdad on March 27, 2024. — AFP

BAGHDAD: A drone strike on Sunday killed a Sunni tribal leader in Kifri town in Diyala province east of Iraq, police and security officials said.

The Sunni tribal leader from the Turkmen minority was killed when a drone dropped explosive near his guesthouse in central Kifri town, the sources said, asking not to be named because they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Kifri is a disputed area with a mixed population of ethnic Kurds, Arab Sunnis and Turkmen. No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s drone attack.

A statement from the Turkmen Front, the biggest Turkmen political party in Iraq, denounced it and demanded the government investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.