(dpa) - Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani condemned on Saturday the killing of Riyad al-Nuri, closest aide and brother-in- law of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, describing the incident as "vicious."
Sending a message of condolences to al-Sadr on Saturday, Talabani said the crime was a part of the violence "creating strife among brothers of the same state, religion and ethnicity."
He added that an investigation would be underway to unveil the perpetrators.
Militants in Iraq on Friday killed al-Nuri in the city of Najaf, some 180 kilometres south of the capital Baghdad. Many Sadrists believed that government is responsible of the death of al-Nuri, due to an offensive launched against all Sadrists since March 25.
Reacting to the news of al-Nuri's death, the Iraqi forces imposed a curfew on the city of Najaf, especially in areas where Sadrists are centralized.