Gunmen kill city council chief in Iraq`s Kirkuk

Kirkuk: Gunmen killed the city council chief of Iraq`s ethnically divided northern oil hub of Kirkuk on Tuesday, a police commander and a doctor said.

Munir al-Qafili, a well-known and respected official, was shot dead on his way home in the east of the city.

Kirkuk lies at the heart of a swathe of disputed territory that Kurdish leaders want to incorporate into their autonomous region in the north.

Sunni Arab opposition to the claim has helped fan a spectacular offensive that has seen militants seize a large swathe of northern and north-central Iraq, include several mainly Sunni Arab towns in Kirkuk province.

Kirkuk has a diverse population with a significant Turkmen community as well as Kurds and Arabs.