Unidentified assailants gunned down Izzedine, a news anchor for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan-backed Kirkuk TV as he was driving on the main highway from Kirkuk to Baghdad. Kurdish journalists in Kirkuk said that Izzedine’s car was fired on by a group of armed men driving in a black Nissan. After Izzedine was shot, his attackers threw his body onto the road and left the scene, the journalists reported.
Kurdish journalists said Kirkuk TV’s anti-insurgent stance has made it vulnerable to attack from armed groups, and they believe Izzedine, a prominent personality on Kirkuk TV, was targeted for his work with the station.