This event is the second incident of familicide reported in the Kurdistan region within just a week. [Getty]
Authorities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq have reported a tragic incident in which a man, recently back from the United Kingdom, shot dead five family members before turning the gun on himself late Wednesday evening.
This event is the second incident of homicide-suicide cases reported in the Iraqi Kurdistan region within just a week. Previously, a well-known doctor in Erbil was arrested after murdering his wife, her parents, and her sister.
Sarkawt Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Sulaimaniyah province police, confirmed that officers were dispatched to Greza village in the Said Sadiq district shortly after receiving reports of a shooting around 11:10 pm.
Ahmed stated that investigators had retrieved surveillance footage capturing the incident for detailed analysis.
Initial police investigations suggest the suspect, Bashir Salar Mohammed (born in 1998), engaged in a heated family argument before shooting his father, mother, two sisters, and a brother with an automatic rifle. Afterwards, he fatally shot himself. Authorities have sent the victims’ bodies for forensic examinations.
Speaking to TNA, Iraqi Kurdish sociologist Yassin Aftaw emphasised the complexity behind murder-suicide cases: “Various factors influence familicides [murder-suicides that involve killing family members], and each case needs careful individual analysis to understand the exact reasons. Unfortunately, local media often simplifies such incidents by attributing them solely to ideological factors, such as radical Islam or communism, which is incorrect.”
Aftaw identified drug abuse as frequently playing a significant role in such violent acts. “Typically, there is one predominant factor accompanied by other contributing issues,” he explained.
He also expressed concerns about sensationalist media coverage possibly provoking imitative crimes: “Unprofessional reporting by local media significantly increases the risk of similar incidents occurring again. Some channels irresponsibly encourage imitator behaviour by failing to filter their coverage effectively.”
Aftaw further noted the dangers posed by widespread firearm ownership: “One major factor contributing to murder-suicides is the widespread availability of licensed and unlicensed weapons. This is particularly concerning as police and security personnel in Iraqi Kurdistan often bring firearms home due to insufficient official weapons storage facilities.”
Authorities noted that assertions regarding the mental state of the perpetrator must be backed by medical evidence.
Despite continuous efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to regulate firearm ownership, weapons remain widely available, exacerbated by the influx of arms into local black markets following the defeat of Islamic State militants. The extremist group seized significant parts of Iraqi territory in 2014 and was eventually defeated by the Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga forces with international coalition support in 2017.
Last Thursday, renowned surgeon Sirwan Mahmood forced his way into his father-in-law’s house in Erbil, killing four people including his wife, Sana Kamal, a fellow medical doctor. Witnesses stated that Kamal had repeatedly requested a divorce after discovering Mahmood had secretly married a second wife, but he had consistently refused her demands.Â
Women’s rights groups have cited traditional practices, such as polygamy, as catalysts for domestic violence and have called for reform. Conversely, some activists and lawyers argue restrictive laws regarding polygamy, especially requiring the first wife’s approval, exacerbate tensions within families.
While Iraq’s parliament recently amended the country’s civil status law, removing the first wife’s consent requirement for polygamy, the Iraqi Kurdistan region has yet to adopt this change, pending ratification by its autonomous parliament.
These recent tragic events underline pressing societal issues, including domestic violence, gun control, and necessary legal reforms, demanding swift action from local authorities and community leaders.
