Iraq’s deputy justice minister was kidnapped from his vehicle on Tuesday by black-clad gunmen in a north Baghdad district, three security sources said, the second high-profile abduction in the capital in less than a week. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Baghdad has seen a proliferation in recent years of well -armed criminal gangs that carry out contract killings, kidnappings and extortion.
Some elements of powerful Shia armed groups, which are seen as a critical deterrent against Islamic State militants, have also been accused of kidnapping people for political or criminal purposes.
Security sources said another ministry official and two guards were also abducted. A ministry spokesperson declined to comment but identified the deputy minister as Abdel Karim Faris.