Dubai: An Iraqi teenager shot dead his mother, brother and two sisters in the early hours of Tuesday in the southern Iraqi town of Kut city, Arab media reported.
A police official was quoted as saying, “the 18-year-old Ali Habib was under the influence of drugs when he killed four members of his family, including his mother, brother and two sisters.”
The official, who preferred not to be identified, said: “The murders occurred after Monday midnight in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, which borders Iran.”
The suspect was previously arrested and released on charges of drug abuse, according to the source, the police source added. “The city has turned into an important crossing point for smugglers,” he said.
According to Iraqi security authorities, in recent years, Iraq has turned into a transit point for drugs that come mainly from Iran, Lebanon and Syria.
In December 2022, the Anti-Narcotics Directorate of the Ministry of Interior identified the governorates of Basra and Maysan Al Janoub among the main areas where drugs are smuggled and consumed.
