Man allegedly kills uncle and cousin in Nasiriyah over tribal dispute dating back two decades

DHI QAR – A young man allegedly killed his uncle and cousin in the town of Al-Batha, west of Nasiriyah, the capital of the Dhi Qar governorate, on Sunday evening, reportedly over a long-standing tribal feud dating back to 2004, a security source said.

“A man shot and killed his uncle and cousin with a Kalashnikov rifle due to an old tribal dispute from 2004,” the source told 964media.

The incident occurred in Al-Batha’s central bus terminal as the victims were leaving a mourning gathering. The perpetrator had reportedly been waiting for them. One of the victims, the cousin, was a medical assistant by profession.

The suspect fled the scene to an unknown location, and police are actively searching for him. Authorities have launched an investigation into the crime while local residents expressed concern over the resurgence of tribal feuds in the region.

Tribal conflicts in Iraq, frequently stemming from longstanding disputes over land, honor-related grievances, or acts of retaliation, are a persistent issue that often result in violent confrontations and disrupt local communities. Resolving these disputes can take months or even years, often necessitating significant intervention from local authorities to restore order.

In April, the Ministry of Interior announced that it had resolved 400 tribal disputes during the first four months of 2024, the majority of which were non-violent. Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Maqdad Miri attributed the decline in tribal conflicts to intensified efforts aimed at curbing acts of tribal retaliation.