Iraqi authorities arrest 14 over killing of 20-member family

Deaths during raid on Thursday shocked Iraqi society and laid bare failings in the country's security forces

The tragedy on Thursday led calls for a purge of the security forces, which have long been accused of corruption and human rights offences. AFP

The Iraqi Interior Ministry has arrested 14 people involved in Thursday’s massacre of a 20-member family killed in a raid based on false accusations in an attempt to settle a family dispute.

In an interview with state television late on Sunday, the head of the security media cell Maj Gen Saad Maan released more details on the circumstances that led to the fatal incident in the small town of Jbala, south of Baghdad.

The dispute was between Rahim Kadhim Al Ghrairi on the one hand, and his brother-in-law, a colonel with the interior ministry, and son-in-law, a civilian who works as an informant for the ministry’s intelligence department, Mr Maan said.

For weeks the two men had tried to convince Mr Al Ghrairi to allow his wife to visit her family and the daughter to go back to her home, but he refused, he said.

A quarrel erupted last month between Mr Al Ghrairi and the two men, leading to an exchange of fire, he said.

The colonel and son-in-law conspired to mislead authorities with false accusations that Mr Al Ghrairi was harbouring two ISIS militants wanted by the security forces.

The forces tried first to convince Mr Al Ghrairi to come with them, but he refused and a gunfight erupted in which two security personnel were wounded, he said.

After clashes for a few hours in which the security forces used heavy weapons, Mr Al Ghrairi, his wife, four sons, two daughters, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, including a week-old baby, were killed.

“We all agree that what happened is a crime, an abuse of power and a use of excessive force,” Mr Maan said.

He described the incident as heinous, saying that Mr Al Ghrairi had nothing to do with terrorism or drugs as an earlier government account had stated.

Among those arrested are the son-in-law and brother-in-law, as well as intelligence and police officers and policemen, he said.

On Monday, the Iraq Judiciary Council announced it was wrapping up its investigations into 13 of those arrested, including nine officers, three policemen and the informant.

Four arrest warrants have been issued for other people, it said, without giving further details. The investigations are still ongoing, it said.

The crime shocked Iraqi society and led to calls to clean up the security forces, which are accused of corruption and human rights offences.