Iraqi Councilor Killed İn Diyala

A local Iraqi councilor and two bodyguards were killed in an attack in the northern Diyala province on Wednesday, a security source said.



Unidentified militants attacked the motorcade of councilor Ahmed al-Harbi, 45 kilometers northeastern of provincial capital Baqubah, killing him and two bodyguards, the source said.



The assailants had escaped the scene unscathed, according to the source.



Al-Harbi is a member of the Sunni National Dialogue Bloc, which has 13 seats of the 29-member council.



Al-Harbi's cousin, also a former member of the province council, was assassinated last year.



Recent months have seen an uptick in violence across Iraq. Although most attacks go unclaimed, Iraqi authorities usually point the finger at Al-Qaeda-linked militants.



By Aref Youssef



englishnews@aa.com.tr - Bağdat