ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A senior leader in the Azm Alliance warned on Saturday of a growing wave of attacks targeting election candidates across Iraq, saying the violence threatens public safety and the integrity of the upcoming parliamentary elections. A security expert also said that the repeated incidents expose the fragility of Iraq’s security environment and could discourage voter participation.

Azam al-Hamdani, a senior figure in the Azm Alliance, told The New Region that “there are growing concerns and fears over the rising number of attacks and assassination attempts targeting candidates in several provinces. The continuation of these operations poses a serious threat to civil peace and the integrity of the democratic process in the country.”

His remarks came after two attacks on candidates’ offices within 24 hours. Baghdad Provincial Council member and Azm parliamentary candidate Muthanna al-Azzawi said that his office in Baghdad’s Yousifiya area was attacked early Saturday, injuring one person. Later that night, Abdul-Hussein al-Saedi, another candidate, reported that his campaign headquarters in Maysan province came under fire, though no casualties were reported.

The two incidents followed the killing of Baghdad Provincial Council member and Siyada Alliance candidate Safaa al-Mashhadani, who was killed three days earlier when a sticky bomb attached to his car exploded in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, early Wednesday.

Hamdani said that “the repeated attacks targeting candidates and political activists send worrying messages and indicate organized attempts to intimidate free voices and weaken political participation.” He added that “protecting the lives of candidates and citizens is not an individual responsibility but a national duty shared by the state’s security and judicial institutions.”

He urged the government to “fulfill its constitutional responsibilities in ensuring a safe electoral environment by developing an urgent plan to protect candidates and their offices and by firmly dealing with groups seeking to undermine the democratic process or influence voters through force or intimidation.”

Hamdani also called on the Independent High Electoral Commission to “monitor violations accompanying the election campaigns and coordinate with security agencies to guarantee everyone’s right to run and compete freely without fear or threat.”

He concluded that “the country’s future depends on our ability to protect the democratic path. We will not allow forces of violence and terror to turn back the clock, and we will continue to work toward free, safe, and fair elections that truly reflect the will of the people.”

Fragile security environment

Security affairs expert Adnan al-Kinani told The New Region that “caution is needed as the pace of attacks and assassinations targeting candidates and political activists rises in several provinces. These developments are a dangerous indicator of the fragile security environment surrounding the upcoming elections and a direct threat to political participation and freedom of expression.”

He explained that “the growing number of attacks during the campaign period reflects the presence of organized groups with intelligence and logistical capabilities, seeking to sow chaos and disrupt both the political and security landscape. These incidents cannot be seen as isolated or random but as part of deliberate attempts to undermine trust in the electoral process.”

Kinani stressed that “the current stage requires proactive security measures by strengthening intelligence efforts and monitoring armed groups and active cells that may exploit the political distraction to carry out high-impact operations. Protecting candidates and polling centers must be a top national priority, coordinated directly between the security forces and the electoral commission.”

He warned that “the repetition of such incidents threatens social stability and fosters fear and political disengagement, ultimately undermining the legitimacy of the upcoming elections.”

Kinani concluded that “the state must send a clear message that the safety of candidates and voters is a red line, and any attempt to destabilize election security will be met firmly. Maintaining a secure environment is the cornerstone of any successful democratic process.”