ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi lawmaker Yasser al-Husseini on Saturday questioned the Iraqi government’s ability and willingness to investigate the death of an Iraqi Shiite imam in the Sayyidah Zaynab area of Syria. His remarks followed news reports and social media posts claiming the imam was assassinated, with many alleging a sectarian intent.

Iraq’s National Intelligence Service denied those claims, saying the man died from a heart attack and showed no signs of violence or torture.

In a post seen by The New Region, Husseini said, “After the martyrdom of Sayyed al-Zamli, the martyrdom of Haj Khalil Abu Ibrahim, and the arrest of Ahmad al-Kufi three months ago, and the government and our embassy in Syria denying these events, can the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani investigate these incidents or prevent more tragedies? Or is it too afraid and powerless?”

Husseini also claimed that militant groups in Syria prevent Shiite religious practices, including mourning ceremonies and food distribution during Ashura, while allowing what he described as sectarian figures to operate freely.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an Iraqi imam was shot and killed in the village of Kaftin, in Idlib province, by unknown gunmen on a motorcycle. The group said the killing happened in front of the imam’s house, and the attackers subsequently fled the area.

In response to the reports, Iraq’s National Intelligence Service issued a statement received by The New Region. The agency said it acted on orders from the prime minister to verify social media claims that an Iraqi citizen was killed in Syria for sectarian reasons.

The intelligence team, working with Iraq’s embassy in Syria, found that the man, born in 1952, suffered from chronic illnesses and died in his home on Friday. Witnesses and medical staff confirmed that he died from a heart attack and showed no signs of physical harm, according to the report.

“The National Intelligence Service urges social media users to be careful and rely on official sources when sharing news,” the statement said. “The safety of Iraqis inside and outside the country remains our top priority.”