The \u00a0Takfiri group, Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) threatened to assassinate the Iraq-based Muslim religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani.<\/p>\n
In a statement on Tuesday, the terrorist group said: \u201cAt present, the Shiite religious leader in Iraq is a person named Ali Sistani who is a remnant of Safavid generation. We warn all Shiites that Sistani should leave Iraq, otherwise, we will kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Security measures have intensified outside Sayyed Sistani\u2019s home in Iraq\u2019s Southern city of Najaf, the Persian-language Adyan news quoted one of the security officials in the city as saying.<\/p>\n
“All people should be confident that the dirty hands of Wahhabists will never reach our Great religious leader,\u201d the security official said.<\/p>\n
Takfiri groups, including ISIL which operates also in neighboring Syria, frequently launch terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Iraq\u2019s Interior Ministry has said that militants have launched an open war in Iraq and they want to push the Middle Eastern country into chaos.<\/p>\n
Iraqi troops, backed by local tribesmen, are fighting Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants, including ISIL, in the country\u2019s Western regions, including Anbar province.<\/p>\n