Najaf police say Kufa acid attack was family dispute, reject ex-official’s claim

KUFA — Najaf police on Monday rejected claims by former Kufa municipality director Mohsen Baqr al-Sham that members of the municipal violations committee were targeted for assassination and “burned with acid” one day after he left office.

In a Facebook post, al-Sham wrote: “Attempted assassination of members of the violations committee in Kufa municipality and burning them with acid after one day of leaving the position. Leaving employees to face death before the violations gangs is a dangerous beginning that harms the authority of the state.”

Najaf Police Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Fatlawi told reporters he hoped “there is no rush in passing judgment,” insisting the incident was unrelated to municipal enforcement work. “The incident is criminal (a family dispute),” he said, adding that security forces are raiding the homes of those involved and “will not hesitate to enforce the law and apprehend the perpetrators.”

Col. Mufid al-Tahir, head of the police media office, also told 964media the case was “a family dispute entirely and has nothing to do with the job.”

The incident comes as authorities across Iraq confront rising reports of acid attacks. In late November, Karkh Police Command said it arrested three suspects accused of throwing acid on a woman driving in Baghdad.

That assault followed a high-profile case in February, when media presenter Noor al-Khafaji was attacked with acid in the Karrada district. The Iraqi Women Journalists Forum said the incident reflected growing violence against women and called it “a blatant violation of human rights.” Acid attacks often leave victims with permanent injuries and require years of medical treatment.