By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Three Iraqi candidates were killed Thursday in different cities ahead of the upcoming provincial election, local police sources said.
Omar Farouk al-Ani, a Sunni candidate of the Iraqi Islamic party which belongs to the Iraqi Accordance Front, was killed by unknown gunmen on Thursday night in western Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua.
Unknown gunmen Thursday evening shot dead al-Ani in front of his home in Amiriya, west of Baghdad, and run away, the source said.
Separately, Hazim Salim Ahmed, another Sunni candidate belonging to the Iraqi national unity list was also killed Thursday night in Mosul, northern Iraq, a local police source confirmed to Xinhua.
In a third incident Thursday, another candidate whose name is confirmed as Abbas Frhan al-Azawi, was killed in Diyala Province north of Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua.
The candidate was kidnapped with two other persons this morning, and their bodies were found this evening, police said.
Such violent incidents happened just two days before the provincial elections in Iraq, which is generally regarded as a high profile political event when local sects struggle for regional power.
The landmark provincial council elections are due to be held on January 31 in 14 out of 18 Iraqi provinces. The elections is the first vote in the country since 2005. Some 15 million Iraqis are being called to the polls to elect officials for 440 seats.
Despite relative security gains during the past 18 months, a series of brutal killings against Iraqi candidates and civilians proved just how fragile the security situation is and risks a possible setback.
Iraqi authorities has announced on Tuesday ever-strict security measures, that airports and provincial highways were closed and borders shut. Vehicle ban was also imposed during provincial polls.