BAGHDAD, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A senior leader of an Iraqi armed group was killed Thursday in a sticky bomb explosion targeting his vehicle in the southern province of Maysan, the group said.
Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella body for Iraq's pro-Iran militias, in a statement identified the slain commander as Uday Muhsen al-Halfi, also known as Sheikh Dhafer, adding that another member was wounded in the attack.
The group urged the Iraqi government and judicial authorities to launch an immediate high-level investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Meanwhile, a local security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the bomb exploded Thursday afternoon while al-Halfi's car was in motion, killing him instantly.
The blast also seriously wounded al-Halfi's bodyguard, who was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment, the source added.
According to the source, al-Halfi was affiliated with the 19th Brigade of the Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces, an official umbrella organization comprising various paramilitary units.
The United States designated Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity in 2024 for attacking its forces in the region. ■
