Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt (Ayatollah Sistani) [View All]

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Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has survived an assassination bid when gunmen opened fire on his entourage in the sacred streets of Najaf, a security aide says.

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 along the lines that Sistani has demanded.

Sistani, revered by Iraq's Shi'ite community, which makes up about 60 percent of the country's 25 million population, is rarely seen in public and seldom leaves Najaf, Shi'ism holiest city, about 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad.

"At 10 o'clock (7 a.m. British time) this morning, gunmen opened fire on Ayatollah Sistani as he greeted people in Najaf, but he was not hurt," the official told Reuters on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

Residents said Sistani was travelling by car from his office to his home and stopped to greet passersby when his entourage was fired upon by at least four gunmen. It was not immediately clear whether any of Sistani's security team were injured.

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Iraq's top cleric survives assassination attempt

The Question here is "Who is trying to kill Ayatollah Sitani?"