Armed Attack Targets Media Group at Farm Near Baghdad; One Vehicle Burned

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An armed attack struck a journalist and media group gathered at a rented farm in Abu Ghraib, a district in western Baghdad. The assault occurred during what the group described as an entertainment gathering, authorities said. One vehicle caught fire during the incident. Survivor Mutezz Ayyoub told reporters the group had rented the farm for football, volleyball and swimming activities. Ayyoub said heavy gunfire opened up during a celebration marking Ghadir Khum. He noted the group initially believed the bullets were not directed at them before realizing they were being specifically targeted. The group extinguished the vehicle fire before fire department crews arrived, Ayyoub said, adding that all vehicles at the scene sustained bullet damage. The survivors filed an official complaint with the relevant authorities, he said. Security forces recorded the case with unidentified perpetrators.