Gunfire halts voting in Basra school after arrest sparks clash at polling site

BASRA — Authorities in Basra’s Qurna district temporarily suspended voting Tuesday after a shooting and brief storming of a polling station that began when security forces arrested a man wanted on criminal charges.

An Iraqi security source told 964media that “the incident started when security forces arrested a person wanted by the judiciary under Article 406 of the Penal Code while he was at the Al-Musa Al-Kadhim Primary School polling center in the Al-Kbeiba area of Al-Thaghr subdistrict.”

After the arrest, several relatives of the detained man gathered outside the polling site demanding his release. “The situation escalated quickly as protesters fired shots around the polling center before storming it, creating chaos and threatening the safety of staff and voters inside,” the source said.

Authorities immediately ordered the polling station closed to “protect lives and prevent further deterioration of the security situation,” the source added.

One person outside the station was injured in the incident. Security forces later reinforced their presence, regained control of the area, and reopened the polling station to allow voting to resume.

Officials said an investigation has been launched into the attack, with legal action pending against those involved.