Boy drowns in Euphrates near Ramadi with sister still missing

ANBAR — A police diving team recovered the body of a 5-year-old boy from the Euphrates River on Wednesday, one day after he drowned near his family’s home in the Al-Sufiya area east of Ramadi, authorities said.

The child had been playing along the riverbank Tuesday when he slipped and fell into the water, according to a security source who spoke to 964media. His 13-year-old sister attempted to save him but was also swept away by the current.

“The child was playing on the banks near his house when he slipped and fell into the river,” the source said. “She tried to rescue him but fell into the river as well.”

A 12-member police diving team launched a search operation shortly after the incident, supported by river patrol boats. On Wednesday morning, divers recovered the boy’s body, identified as Mohammed. His sister remained missing as of late Wednesday, and search efforts were ongoing.

The Al-Sufiya area is located in a rural district of Anbar Governorate, along the banks of the Euphrates River,