Witnesses said in the city of Basra, southern Iraq, that unidentified gunmen assassinated on Friday evening the Tigris Channel reporter Ahmed Abdul Samad and its photographer Safaa Ghali after they finished covering the protests in the city center.
The correspondent, Abdul Samad, died at the site of the attack, while photographer Ghali died after being transferred to the hospital, according to statements reported by Anatolia Agency on two Iraqi security sources.
It is reported that the reporter Ahmed Abdul Samad expressed on several occasions his support for the popular demonstrations against the government and the ruling political elite, and that he criticizes Iran's interference in the country's affairs.
Activists in the protests have been subjected to coordinated attacks, such as assassinations, kidnappings and torture, since the outbreak of the protests more than two months ago, while the frequency of targeting has increased dramatically in recent weeks.
Iraq has witnessed unprecedented popular protests since the beginning of October 2019, interspersed with violence that left 500 dead and more than 17 thousand wounded, according to official human rights and other medical and security sources.