Iraqis demand inquiry into killing of tribal chief

"We want an investigation into the murder of Sheikh Ali and the tracking down of his killers," said Sheikh Jamal al-Saadun, a notable from the tribe headed by the slain Sheikh Ali Najm al-Saadun.

Sheikh Ali was shot dead in the centre of Basra on June 4 by four hooded assailants who fled after the attack.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

He headed the influential al-Saadun tribe, which according to residents had close ties with the Baath regime of Saddam Hussein that was ousted by the US-British coalition on April 9.

Tribe members called for revenge as the protesters gathered outside a former presidential palace on the Shatt al-Arab waterway demanding to see an official of the British military command controlling the region.

The demonstrators, who included members of the al-Montafek and al-Tamimi tribes, raised banners urging a "fair and serious investigation" into the murder and calling for the restoration of security in Iraq's southern capital.

The tribal chief was killed near the Basra office of the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI), the main Iraqi Shiite movement.

Members of his tribe said they suspected the group's armed wing, the Badr Brigade, of being behind the murder.