By Ahmed Qassem
BAGHDAD (AA) – The Daesh terrorist group on Thursday killed an Iraqi military commander — along with his entire family — in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, according to a local security source.
Nineveh Police Chief Mezher Khalaf al-Bayati told Anadolu Agency that the attackers — dressed as security personnel — had stormed the home of Ali Hussein al-Hamad, a Hashd al-Shaabi commander, before executing him, his father, wife and five children.
The deadly incident reportedly occurred in the village of Al-Buhamad some 20 kilometers south of provincial capital Mosul.
A predominantly Shia fighting force, the Hashd al-Shaabi was established in 2014 with the express purpose of fighting Daesh. It was officially incorporated into the Iraqi army last year.
According to al-Bayati, the attackers used guns outfitted with silencers to kill their victims before fleeing the scene.
A joint army/police force has since been deployed in the area while the search for the attackers remains underway.
Recent months have seen several attacks by Daesh terrorists on security personnel stationed in northern and western Iraq.
Last year, Iraqi officials declared that Daesh's military presence in the country had been all but destroyed.
The army, however, continues to carry out frequent operations aimed at eliminating the group’s lingering presence in some parts of the country.
