Najaf police identify suspect in hit-and-run body dump case

NAJAF, Iraq — Najaf Police Directorate said investigators identified the suspect in a hit-and-run case in which an unidentified body was dumped in an isolated area of the city. Brigadier Muwaffaq al-Tahir, the directorate's media director, said the suspect struck a pedestrian with his car near the Khirsan pilgrimage site, loaded the still-bleeding victim into his vehicle and abandoned him in a deserted location. The Kufa police unit resolved the case after lengthy surveillance and investigation work, the directorate said. Al-Tahir added that the suspect confessed after being shown footage of the collision. The detainee's account was corroborated and he has been referred to judicial authorities, according to the statement. The police directorate did not report any additional arrests or detentions linked to the incident.