Shafaq News/ Unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle assassinated controversial Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Fadhil al-Muraisi in northern Baghdad on Thursday, a security source revealed.

The leader of the al-Dawi party, al-Muraisi, was shot dead while commuting in his car near the Tajji Traffic Directorate north of the capital.

"The driver sustained critical injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for medical care," the source said.

Al-Muraisi, a controversial figure known as "the Imam Rabbani" among his supporters, claimed to be the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam of the duodenal Shiite Islam. He enjoyed considerable popularity in his native Diyala governorate and participated in various electoral cycles, with his followers contesting the Diyala local election elections under the "Wataniyoon" list.

Local security sources confirmed the incident, stating that gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on al-Muraisi's vehicle, killing him instantly. They noted the ongoing investigation and the pursuit of the unidentified assailants.