Prominent Shia cleric survives assassination attempt

30 October 2003
A prominent Shia cleric survived an assassination attempt by unknown assailants on 29 October. Sheikh al-Kerbelai, who is a representative of the supreme Shia leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, suffered head injuries in a rocket-propelled grenade attack, according to a statement from Al-Sistani's office. Five of Al-Kerbelai's bodyguards were injured in the incident.

Clashes between Shia groups in Iraq have become commonplace since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Many observers believe that there is an ongoing power struggle between followers of the outspoken cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and supporters of more liberal clerics who back the interim government in Iraq (MEED 15:10:03).

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.