Passport officer killed in armed dispute in southern Iraq's Basra

BASRA, Iraq — A passport office officer was killed in an armed altercation in Abu al-Khasib district, south of Basra, a local security source said on Wednesday. The source told local media that the officer, who worked for the Directorate of Civil Status, Passports and Residence, was killed in the Kut Thuwaini area of the district after a physical dispute with another individual escalated into a shooting. The officer died at the scene after the suspect opened fire with a pistol. Security forces cordoned off the area and transferred the body to the forensic medical authority, the source said. A search operation was launched to locate the suspect, who fled in an unknown direction following the incident. No further details were immediately available.