Colonel Zaid Adel Subaih Jirjis Assassinated in Kirkuk, Iraq

Kirkuk, Iraq - December 19, 2025

Colonel Zaid Adel Subaih Jirjis, a senior Iraqi Christian police officer, was shot and killed outside his home in the Arafa area of Kirkuk on Friday, December 19. Iraqi authorities have described the killing as “criminal in nature,” stating that it stemmed from personal disputes involving fellow police personnel. Yet for his family and for Iraq’s Christian community, his death leaves behind far more questions than answers.

According to Iraq’s Interior Ministry, those involved in the killing were also members of the police force. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the number of perpetrators, with some sources stating that two brothers, both police officers, carried out the attack, while other accounts claim there was only one shooter. What is undisputed is that Colonel Jirjis was unarmed and at his residence at the time of the killing. Following the attack, one suspect reportedly took his own life inside the vehicle used to flee the scene, while others were arrested. The Interior Minister has since ordered the formation of an investigative committee.

Colonel Jirjis previously served as the director of the Arafa police station before being transferred to the Kirkuk police directorate. He is survived by his wife and children, whose lives have been irreversibly altered by this tragedy.

While officials have ruled out political or sectarian motives, the use of the term “assassinated” in several reports, combined with the circumstances and timing of the killing, has raised deep concern among Iraqi Christians who already feel increasingly unsafe in their ancestral homeland. For many, this killing is not an isolated incident, but part of a wider pattern of violence, instability, and impunity affecting Christians in Iraq.

This tragedy comes during what should have been a season of faith and celebration. Instead of preparing for Christmas, the family of Colonel Zaid Adel Subaih Jirjis is mourning a husband, a father, and a protector of his community. His death stands as another painful reminder that repeated assurances of safety have failed Iraq’s Christian population.

Every year, thousands of Iraqi Christians are encouraged to return to Iraq for holidays and cultural celebrations, often being told the country is safe. Yet repeated incidents of violence and insecurity continue to contradict those claims.

May God grant him eternal rest, and may comfort and strength be given to his wife and children.

— Chaldean Press