Iraqi media figure survives assassination attempt in Baghdad
Shafaq News/ Fakhri Kareem, the head of al-Mada Foundation for Media, Culture, and Arts, managed to narrowly escape an assassination attempt on Thursday night, marking yet another episode in the Iraqi journalists' ongoing against struggle violence and extremism.
The attempt on Kareem's life occurred at approximately 9 p.m. local time as he was returning from the International Book Fair alongside Ghada al-Ameli, the foundation's general manager.
Metro Center, a media rights watch, denounced the attack as a "brazen display of terrorism seeking to impose its will through the barrel of a gun."
"This assassination attempt reaffirms that the forces of terrorism and darkness loom over Iraq, attempting to impose their will through violent means," the center stated in a press release earlier today.
The center also warned of recent efforts to suppress "artistic and sports activities" across the country.
Metro also urged relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice and warned against allowing such incidents to follow the pattern of previous ones, where assailants evade accountability.
Al-Mada described the attack as "treacherous and cowardly." According to the statement, unidentified gunmen riding in two pickup trucks intercepted Kareem's vehicle, opened fire with light weapons, and fled the scene.
