Election monitor killed east of Baaquba

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: An election monitor was shot down by an armed group east of the district of Baaquba on Sunday, an official security source in Diala said. “Unidentified gunmen intercepted lawyer Ali al-Karkhi on the main street of the Kanaan district, (21 km) east of Baaquba, and showered him with bullets, killing him instantly,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Karkhi was an election monitor on a political party in Diala,” added the source, not naming the party. Representatives of political blocs had expected acts of violence after the announcement of the initial results of the provincial council elections, held on January 31 all over Iraq, in most areas in Diala. Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad. AmR (P) 1