Iraqi security analyst Husham al-Hashimi assassinated in Baghdad

Lawk Ghafuri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi security analyst and Rudaw columnist Husham al-Hashimi was assassinated by unknown armed groups in  Baghdad on Monday night, according to Iraqi state media outlet INA.

According to state-media, Hashimi was assassinated in front of his house in Baghdad's Zayuna neighbourhood. Three gunmen ambushed Hashimi and shot him at close range as he was getting into his car, an investigator told AFP. 

The media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi released a statement on Monday evening condemning the assassination.

“We vow to hunt down the perpetrators to bring them to face justice.. we will not stop chasing the criminals, and we will use all of our efforts to return the control of weapons to the state…no power is above the power of the rule of law,” the statement read.

Born in Baghdad in 1973, Hashimi was a leading security expert, member of the Iraq Advisory Council and former advisor to the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS). He also served as a nonresident fellow with the Center for Global Policy (CGP). 

Hashimi wrote regularly about terrorism and armed militias in Iraq, and authored a detailed series of publications on the ongoing threat of ISIS for CGP.  

He also focused on the role of Shiite militias in Iraq, and was a strong supporter of the protest movement that swept across the country in October 2019.

The media office of Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi called on the Iraqi government to reveal the results of the investigation “as soon as possible."

Iraqi President Barham Salih described the assassination as a "despicable crime," and a targeting of the right of Iraqis to live a free and dignified life. 

“The least that can be done is that the criminals should be exposed and brought to justice, to ensure security and peace for our country,” he added.

Tributes have been paid on Twitter to the well-respected analyst.

"Farewell to a friend who left a lasting impression of his love and deep affiliation with his homeland," tweeted Canadian Ambassador to Baghdad Ulric Shannon. 

The EU Ambassador to Iraq called his death a "heinous crime." 

"Iraq lost one of its best brave thinkers," said British Ambassador to Iraq Stephen Hickey.

"These attacks cannot continue. The Iraqi government, with the support of the international community, must hold the perpetrators accountable," he tweeted.

United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert condemned the assassination as a “ despicable act of cowardice", calling on the government to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

The Popular Mobilization Forces militia network, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, released a statement of condolence, describing the perpetrators as "terrorists."

The PMF also called on security forces to investigate the attack.

Updated 11.45pm