Sunni candidate's office attacked in Baghdad

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A candidate in Iraq’s parliamentary election said early Saturday morning that his office in Baghdad was attacked and one person was injured, raising concerns about security in an already tense election cycle.

 

Muthanna Thaer al-Azzawi, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council and a candidate from the Azm Alliance, said his office came under a "cowardly attack" in Baghdad's Yusufiyah district.

 

The attack "will not deter us from continuing to serve our people and stand by them with all sincerity and responsibility," he said, adding "such attempts to insult us have nothing to do with morals or values."

 

"Our firm belief is that the law is above all, and the aggressors will be punished for their actions sooner or later," he said.

 

The Sunni Azm Alliance is led by Muthanna al-Samarrai.

 

On Wednesday, another candidate vying for a seat in the parliament was assassinated in Baghdad.

Safaa al-Mashhadani, who also served on Baghdad’s Provincial Council, was running on the Sunni Arab Sovereignty-Legislation Alliance ticket. 

 

And on Thursday, the office of a Yazidi candidate for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was set ablaze by unidentified individuals.

 

Campaigning for Iraq’s November elections began on October 3 and will continue until November 8. Security forces and special voters will cast their ballots on November 9, followed by the general election on November 11.