Civil activist shot by masked gunmen on motorcycle in Babil

BABIL — Civil activist Dhirgham Majid was wounded Tuesday after two masked gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on him inside a grocery shop in the al-Hamza al-Gharbi district south of Babil, witnesses told 964media.

The attackers fired two shots at Majid, striking him in the left leg, before fleeing the scene. He was transferred first to Ali Abis Hospital in al-Midhatiya and then to Hillah Surgical Hospital, where a medical source told 964media he “underwent urgent examinations and received the necessary treatment” and his condition is now stable. Majid told investigators that “two unknown individuals entered the shop and opened fire directly before fleeing.”

Babil police commander Maj. Gen. Abbas Hassan Nasser al-Husseini ordered the activation of a rapid response plan, with forensic teams collecting fingerprints and shell casings and a joint investigative team formed under judicial supervision. Authorities say they have set up checkpoints, increased patrols and are analyzing surveillance footage and gathering intelligence to identify the suspects.

Majid is known for organizing protests and civic activities. In January he led a demonstration toward the Babil council building calling for the appointment of a specific candidate as governor, with security forces blocking protesters from reaching the site. In October 2025 he announced a mass march in Baghdad marking the anniversary of the 2019 protest movement, calling for judicial reform, accountability for corruption and the release of detainees.