Iraq's PM orders "immediate" probe into military officer death

(MENAFN) After the death of a senior military officer by "undisciplined individuals" at a checkpoint north of Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi has ordered an "immediate" investigation.

Brig Gen Shareef Ismaeel Al Murshidi, shot dead on Tuesday at a checkpoint outside Samarra, was brigade commander whose forces are tasked with protecting Mr Al Abadi and Baghdad's Green Zone. State-sanctioned Shiite militias play a large role in securing the town, which is home to a major Shiite shrine.

On Wednesday, Iraqi state TV aired the official funeral, which Mr Al Abadi attended along with the slain officer's relatives. Mr Al Sadr has sent a delegation to Samarra to investigate the incident.

Playing a major role in various battles against ISIL, thousands of Shiite men fought side to side with Sunni men to defend Iraq from ISIL militants which swept across northern and western Iraq in mid-2014.

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