He was in one of the photos with Kadhimi during the prime minister'sВ visitВ and is generally seen as one of the more powerful dignitaries in the town. Three of his sons were killedВ inВ attacks by or fighting against al-Qaeda and IS. The sheikh is the former head of the Arab Awakening in northern Baghdad. KhazrajiвЂќ and thatВ despite this attack, security in the area is good. Sheikh Saeed Jassim al-Mashhadani, who this journalist interviewed in December 2018В at his Tarmiyah home, told Al-Monitor in a WhatsApp message on July 19 that вЂњeveryone in the area loved Gen. The source claimed that these armed groups wanted to enter Tarmiyah and cut down the orchards, destruction he said would lead to вЂњthe displacement of inhabitants.вЂќВ He noted that there is a large contingent of various forces surrounding the city now, frightening residents.ДЄ different security source from Tarmiyah had told this reporter in early 2019 that a previous commanding officer had been underВ investigation for being in indirect contact with IS through local Tarmiyah residents from the Mashhadani tribe and that the security situation had improved significantly after theВ commanderВ was replaced. He noted thatВ Khazraji had been very popular but that after that incident he had heard that вЂњmilitias operating in the areaвЂќ wanted to get rid of him. The source went on to say that heВ would be вЂњkilled if you use my name because there are IS sleeper cells in my area,вЂќВ close to where the general was killed, but also noted that KhazrajiВ had prevented an unnamed armed group from firing rockets at the Taji base вЂњabout two months ago.вЂќ The Tarmiyah resident - who this journalist had previously met with in Baghdad - said, вЂњThere are concerns some of the men protecting the general had been compromised,вЂќ and asked, вЂњHow else could the sniper have known exactly which vehicle he was in?вЂќ IS claimed responsibility for his killing. Khazraji, commander of the 6th Infantry DivisionвЂ™s 59th Brigade, was in a large convoy of armored vehicles when he was targeted by a sniper, a local resident told Al-Monitor in a July 19 WhatsApp exchange. Ali Hamid Ghaidan al-Khazraji had taken part in a military operation in Tarmiyah to clear it of Islamic StateВ remnants.

Just over two weeks before he was killed on July 17, Gen.

Kadhimi, who has been commander-in-chief of the armed forces since he was sworn in as prime ministerВ on May 7 and head of national intelligence since 2016, walked through the crowded streets and called the people of Tarmiyah вЂњour people.вЂќВ He noted while meeting with security chiefs in the town that efforts were underway to revive the sectarianism that had plagued the countryВ in previous years and that his government would address theВ issue. It has in previous years been used by insurgent groups as a recruitment centerВ and a foothold close to the capital in whichВ to hide both men and weapons. Tarmiyah is surrounded by groves of trees, dense vegetationВ and farmland. KadhimiвЂ™s visit seems to have been intended to dispel rumors of sectarian plans by Shiite armed groups to вЂњtake overвЂќ or retaliate against the Sunni town,В as well as to foster a greater sense of security in a country struggling under the weight of security, public health and economic issues. Sunni-majority Tarmiyah has long been seen as an insurgent-prone area and lies roughly 50 kilometers (30В miles) north of Baghdad,В between two main arteries: The road to Kirkuk lies just east of it and the road to Tikrit to the west. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited the town of Tarmiyah, near the Iraqi capital, on July 20 after a sniper killed the commanding general in the area three days before.

Mustafa sniper