Man arrested in Babylon for setting mother on fire at home

BABYLON, Iraq — Police in Babylon province said a man was arrested on Friday after setting his mother on fire inside her home in the tourist district of Hilla. The provincial police command said officers from the Small Desert Area Criminal Investigations unit were dispatched to the scene, where a small house had been completely burned. Initial examination confirmed that a woman inside the home had died in the fire. The suspect, who has prior criminal record entries, was taken into custody by officers from the duty police post, according to the statement. In his confession, which was documented and approved by judicial authorities, the suspect admitted to pouring oil on his mother and throughout the house before setting it on fire and leaving the scene. He later tried to disguise himself as someone seeking help from outside the home, the police said. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the suspect, according to the statement.