Gunfire and clashes rock Basra after vote
Shafaq News – Basra
On Thursday, post-election violence flared in Basra, southern Iraq, with multiple incidents tied to political rivalries following the release of parliamentary results.
In al-Qurna district, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the home of Ahmed Riyadh al-Maliki, office director for winning candidate Uday Awad al-Tmimi, damaging the property and a vehicle. Al-Maliki told Shafaq News that the attackers were likely linked to losing candidate Dhurgham al-Maliki, citing prior threats and previous altercations involving the latter’s driver, Abbas Ouda.
Al-Tmimi, who ran under the Sadiqoon Movement, topped Basra’s vote count with 55,588 ballots.
A security source reported another confrontation during a victory celebration for candidate Qaisar al-Jourani, when his supporters approached the home of fellow winner Ali Shaddad, sparking gunfire that injured two people. Police intervened after Shaddad’s guards fired warning shots.
The country concluded its sixth parliamentary elections since 2003 on Tuesday, with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) reporting voter turnout above 56%. According to the final tallies, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Al-Ima'ar Wal Tanmiya (Reconstruction and Development) bloc has secured the lead in eight of Iraq’s 18 provinces.
In Basra — which holds 25 parliamentary seats, including six reserved for women — voter turnout reached 51.3%, with the Tasmim Alliance of Governor Asaad al-Eidani leading the vote with 173,482 ballots.
