Iraq: Husband sets wife on fire following family dispute

Cairo: An Iraqi man set his wife on fire following a spat due to a family dispute, local media reported, citing security sources.

The 35-year-old man lost his temper during the altercation, doused petrol on the woman and set her ablaze in the area of Al Mahmudia, south Baghdad, the sources added.

The 37-year-old woman was hospitalised with severe burns. The husband fled after the attack, prompting a manhunt from local police. Details of the dispute were not immediately available.

In recent months, Iraq has seen a series of family crimes partially blamed on economic woes compounded by an outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.