Aide of Iraqi deputy PM killed in Baghdad

An aide to Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi was killed by gunmen on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said.

Haidar Mohammed Ali al-Dujaili, the head of Public Affairs Department of the Iraqi National Congress, was killed by gunmen at his home in southeastern Baghdad at around 5:00 a.m. (0100 GMT), the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Iraqi National Congress is a political party led by Chalabi. Gunmen opened fire at a convoy of Chalabi's officials south of the capital four days ago, killing one of his bodyguards.

Chalabi, once a Pentagon ally, who fell out with Washington later, came back to Iraq in April last year. He was once considered a potential Iraqi leader after the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

Source: Xinhua