Breaking news: Ayat Sistani survives assassination bid

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: Iraq’s Ayatullah Ali As-Sistani survived an assassination attempt Thursday when unknown terrorists opened fire on his entourage, according to a security official in his office.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he told Reuters: “At 10 o'clock (0700 GMT) this morning, gunmen opened fire on Ayatullah Sistani as he greeted people in Najaf, but he was not hurt.”

Residents said the Ayatullah was traveling by car from his office to his home in Najaf that houses the holy shrine of Imam Ali (as) and stopped to greet well-wishers when his entourage was fired on.

It was not immediately clear how many people were traveling with Ayatullah Sistani and if anyone in his entourage was hit.

The assassination attempt comes days before a team of United Nations electoral experts is due to arrive in the country to assess the feasibility of holding early elections.

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