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3 dead in Iraq celebratory gunfire
Celebratory gunfire following football-mad Iraq’s crucial Asia Cup triumph over the United Arab Emirates over the weekend killed three people and left 24 others wounded, officials said on Monday.
Shots were fired into the air in several Iraqi cities immediately after the final whistle blew in the national side’s 1-0 victory over the UAE on Saturday, despite government warnings in recent months against such shows of joy.
Police said the celebratory gunfire killed three people and wounded 10 others in the central province of Diyala, while 11 were injured in Baghdad and three in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
In early December, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on Iraqi football fans to refrain from firing their weapons into the air after victories for the national side, demanding “legal measures” to be brought against those who do.
His remarks came ahead of Iraq’s Gulf Cup of Nations semi-final against Kuwait in Aden, Yemen, which Iraq lost on penalties. At the time, gunfire following Iraq’s emergence from the group stage of the Gulf Cup led to one person being killed and 37 wounded.
Similar warnings were made ahead of Iraq’s 2007 Asia Cup final with Saudi Arabia in Jakarta, but celebration gunfire erupted following Iraq’s 1-0 victory, with four people reportedly killed as a result.
Despite Maliki’s own calls for the gunfire to cease, such restrictions would be difficult to enforce, an interior ministry official said.
“Policemen and soldiers are themselves the first to fire into the air after matches,” the official lamented, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iraq, whose 2007 triumph sparked nationwide shows of joy amid the brutal sectarian violence that was engulfing the country at the time, has so far struggled in this year’s tournament.
After falling to neighbouring Iran 2-1 in their opening match, Iraq eked out a 1-0 victory over the UAE only thanks to an injury time own goal, meaning they need just a draw against North Korea on Wednesday to advance to the quarter-finals.
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