Shafaq News / Major-General, Yahya Rasul, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, accused on Wednesday the terrorist organization "ISIS" of being behind "Balad massacre", noting that there are testimonies from the families of the victims and citizens.

On Saturday, unidentified gunmen wearing military uniforms arrested 12 people from Al-Farhatiyah sub-district, Balad district. An hour later, the bodies of eight of them were found, while the fate of the rest is still unknown.

Rasoul said in a statement to the official agency, "it is clear that ISIS is behind the crime of Al-Farhatiyah to confuse the papers and create a gap between the security forces and the citizens", noting, "the investigation team are collecting information and there are testimonies for citizens".

The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces added, "Al-Kadhimi ordered reinforcing Al-Farhatiyah area with army units", indicating, "Al-Kadhimi's visit to Saladin is a message that the government and security forces will fulfill its duties in preserving the lives of citizens".

On Tuesday (October 20, 2020), Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq spokesman Jawad al-Talibawi said that the Asa'ib leader, Qais Khazali, ordered the members of his party to cooperate with the security authorities in the investigations of the massacre of Balad district in Saladin governorate, denying the accusations of the Asa'ib fighters involvement in the massacre.