A security source revealed late on Saturday that masked gunmen shot down Iraqi author Alaa Mashthob Khafaji in front of his house in Karbala, central Iraq.
Mashthob used to voice objection and concerns against Shiite parties, not to mention criticizing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the deteriorating status of Karbala,
Mashthob was born in 1968. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1992-1993, got his M.A. in 2008-2009 and finally a
He published a number of novels like “Homeland Chaos – 2014”, and “A Crime in Facebook – 2015”, in addition to a set of story collections and books about history, arts
He also got awarded many renowned literature awards like an award for travel literature for his book “Capitals of Iran”, while his book “Homeland Chaos” was among the top five books at the Baghdad International Book Fair, and another prize for his documentary “Doors and Windows” during the Short-Film Festival. Furthermore, he got the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in 2018.