16-year-old girl dies from self-inflicted gunshot in southern Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A 16-year-old girl died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her family home in the Hay al-Hakim district of Basra, local sources said. The victim, born in 2010, was transported to hospital in serious condition after firing a pistol at herself but succumbed to her injuries despite medical intervention. Security forces were dispatched to the scene after family members reported the incident. First responders administered initial treatment before transferring the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A judicial investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances surrounding the death and the factors that led the girl to take her own life. Investigators have examined the scene and taken statements from witnesses, officials said. Authorities confirmed that a firearm was used and said a forensic medical report would establish the precise cause of death. No further details were immediately available.