Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi security expert and a vocal opponent of Iran’s intervention in Iraq was assassinated on Monday night.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has confirmed al-Hashimi’s death.

According to the reports, Hashimi was transferred to the hospital moments after the assassination but died due to the severity of his wounds.

Security sources have told Iraqi media that four people on two motorcycles targeted al-Hashimi in an area in the east of Baghdad while he was returning home from appearing on a TV show.

The assassins got close to his car and one of them sprayed hi car with bullets. Then the assassin walked to his car on the driver’s side and shot several bullets directly at his window.

Iraqi sources have accused the security chief of the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, Hussein Moaines, of orchestrating the assassination. Moaines, aka Abu Ali al-Askari, never appears in the media with his real name.

The Prime Minister of Iraq released a statement condemning the assassination of al-Hashimi which he called a strategic expert and analyst and someone who had a big role in Iraq’s political and security talks.

Prime Minister al-Kazemi emphasized that he will not allow such terrorist acts to return to Iraq again. The reports indicate that the prime minister has fired the security official in whose jurisdiction the assassination occurred.

The president of Iraq also condemned the assassination and said his assassins have targeted the Iraqi citizens’ right to live free and with dignity.