Rudaw Baghdad Bureau Chief Dies in Highway Crash

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Aziz Ahmed, the head of Rudaw Media Network's Baghdad bureau, was killed in a traffic accident on the Baghdad-Basra highway, according to reports. Ahmed, who was from Kirkuk, was a senior Kurdish journalist who covered major political and social developments in Iraq for many years. His reporting included Baghdad-Northern Iraq administration relations, the 2018 Basra protests and efforts to locate remains of victims of the Saddam-era Anfal campaign. In recent months he had been covering the integration of armed groups into state control and the diminishing influence of Iran-backed militias. Colleagues said Ahmed was respected in political circles and among ordinary Iraqis for balanced, professional journalism. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and other politicians offered condolences to his family, praising his contribution to the profession. Officials said investigations into the accident are ongoing. The Baghdad-Basra highway is among Iraq's busiest and most dangerous roads, with frequent fatal accidents attributed to heavy truck traffic, inadequate infrastructure and hazardous driving conditions.