The Iraqi Interior Ministry has arrested 14 people involved in Thursday’s massacre of a 20-member family killed in a raid based on false accusations in an attempt to settle a family dispute.
In an interview with state television late on Sunday, the head of the security media cell Maj Gen Saad Maan released more details on the circumstances that led to the fatal incident in the small town of Jbala, south of Baghdad.
The dispute was between Rahim Kadhim Al Ghrairi on the one hand, and his brother-in-law, a colonel with the interior ministry, and son-in-law, a civilian who works as an informant for the ministry’s intelligence department, Mr Maan said.
For weeks the two men had tried to convince Mr Al Ghrairi to allow his wife to visit her family and the daughter to go back to her home, but he refused, he said.
A quarrel erupted last month between Mr Al Ghrairi and the two men, leading to an exchange of fire, he said.
The colonel and son-in-law conspired to mislead authorities with false accusations that Mr Al Ghrairi was harbouring two ISIS militants wanted by the security forces.
The forces tried first to convince Mr Al Ghrairi to come with them, but he refused and a gunfight erupted in which two security personnel were wounded, he said.
After clashes for a few hours in which the security forces used heavy weapons, Mr Al Ghrairi, his wife, four sons, two daughters, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, including a week-old baby, were killed.
“We all agree that what happened is a crime, an abuse of power and a use of excessive force,” Mr Maan said.
He described the incident as heinous, saying that Mr Al Ghrairi had nothing to do with terrorism or drugs as an earlier government account had stated.
Among those arrested are the son-in-law and brother-in-law, as well as intelligence and police officers and policemen, he said.
On Monday, the Iraq Judiciary Council announced it was wrapping up its investigations into 13 of those arrested, including nine officers, three policemen and the informant.
Four arrest warrants have been issued for other people, it said, without giving further details. The investigations are still ongoing, it said.
The crime shocked Iraqi society and led to calls to clean up the security forces, which are accused of corruption and human rights offences.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam
Company%20Profile
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Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
