Body of 20-year-old found after drowning in river near Kirkuk

KIRKUK, Iraq — Security sources in Kirkuk said the body of a 20-year-old man who went missing after being swept away by a current while swimming in the Lesser Zab River was recovered on Saturday. The incident occurred in the southwest of the city, where civil defense teams and security units launched a search operation after receiving a report that the swimmer had disappeared. Rescue teams scanned the riverbed and located the body of Mohammed al-Bakri, who was then transferred to the Kirkuk Forensic Medicine Department to complete legal procedures before being handed over to his family. Authorities have opened an investigation to document the circumstances of the incident. The Lesser Zab is a known swimming spot during the summer, drawing residents and young people seeking relief from high temperatures. Officials have renewed warnings against swimming in unmarked stretches of the river because of strong currents and deep pools.