Hours after a failed attempt on his life, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi held an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers and said he knew who had tried to kill him.
“We will pursue the perpetrators of Sunday’s crime. We know them very well and we will expose them,” he said.
Three explosive-laden drones attacked Mr Al Kadhimi’s home in the highly secure Green Zone, which houses government buildings and international diplomatic missions, including the US embassy.
Troops and army tanks were stationed across the capital Baghdad after the assassination attempt. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The council released a statement calling the attack “a serious targeting of the Iraqi state”.
On Sunday afternoon, the Commander of the Iran’s Quds Force, Brig Gen Esmael Qaani, flew to Baghdad and met Mr Al Kadhimi and President Barham Salih, two government officials told The National on Monday.
“It was a quick visit and lasted for only a few hours,” one official close to the prime minister said. “He denied any role of Iran in the attack and called for calm.”
He also met Hadi Al Amiri, who leads Badr Organisation and the Iran-backed Fatah Alliance bloc of politicians and militia commanders, the second official said.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release information.
The attack was carried out by at least one Tehran-backed militia group, Iraqi security officials and sources close to the militias told Reuters. They said the drones and explosives used were Iranian-made.
A representative for one Iran-aligned paramilitary group declined to comment immediately on the attack or on who carried it out. Other Iran-backed groups could not be reached immediately for comment, and there was no immediate comment from the government in Tehran.
Joint Operations Command spokesman Maj Gen Tahsin Al Khafaji said Iraq’s security forces would “hunt down” those who undermine the country’s national security.
“The security forces are doing their duty and everything is going as planned,” he said, according to a report by Iraq’s state news agency, INA.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the perpetrators must be held to account and called on the Iraqi public to denounce all acts of violence.
“The UN will continue to support with the people and government of Iraq in their quest for a better future,” he said.
US President Joe Biden said his administration would “offer all appropriate assistance to Iraq’s security forces as they investigate the attack and identify those responsible”.
On Sunday, Iraq’s National Security Council formed a committee to investigate the assassination attempt.
Watch: Footage of the aftermath of the attempt
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
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Church of South Indian Parish
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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