Iraqi Prominent Shiite Leader Assassinated in Najaf

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 11, 2003

Iraqi Prominent Shiite Leader Assassinated in Najaf

Iraq's prominent Shiite leader Abdul Maguid Al-Khoel was assassinated Thursday in the central city of Najaf, the Abu Dhabi TV reported.

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Iraq's prominent Shiite leader Abdul Maguid Al-Khoel was assassinated Thursday in the central city of Najaf, the Abu Dhabi TV reported.

Al-Khoel, who recently returned to Najaf, was stabbed to death at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, one of the holiest shrines for Shiite Muslims.

The London-based Khoel foundation has confirmed the death of Al-Khoel, son of former Grand Ayatollah who was spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiites during the 1991 Gulf War.

The circumstances of Al-Khoel's killing and the identity of assailants remained unknown. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the assassination.

There was no civilian rule in Najaf after US troops captured the city last week after fierce fighting with Iraqi troops.

This was the first known political assassination in Iraq following the collapse of the government of Saddam Hussein on Wednesday.

The death of Al-Khoel is expected to raise tensions among Iraq's majority Shiite population and aggravate the already volatile situation in the absence of law and order.

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