UN condemns attacks on elections candidates in Iraq

The United Nations called on Iraqi authorities to ensure the security and safety of political forces, representatives, candidates, and voters.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Special Representative for the United Nations Secretary-General, Jan Kubiš, condemned the car bombing that targeted a Turkmen Front candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kirkuk.

On Saturday, a car bomb exploded near an Iraqi police checkpoint in Kirkuk’s Arab-populated Khadhra neighborhood, killing one person and injuring 11 others, one of them in critical condition, a Kurdistan 24 correspondent in Kirkuk reported.

The correspondent added that the car exploded when the convoy of a Turkmen Front candidate passed through the checkpoint.

“Kubiš strongly condemns the cowardly bombing which targeted the motorcade of a Turkmen Front candidate for the parliamentary elections in Kirkuk, which caused a number of casualties,” a statement by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Sunday read.

The statement added that the Kirkuk bombing was “very disturbing news and a matter of serious concern.”

“This latest attack comes two days after a Turkmen candidate’s motorcade was shot at on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road. Also, the car of a candidate from the Al-Wataniya Coalition was reportedly fired upon, south of Baghdad,” the statement noted.

Kubiš called on Iraqi authorities to ensure the security and safety of political forces, representatives, candidates, and voters.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany