MBC Group ‘strongly condemns’ attack on Baghdad studios, offices

MBC Group “strongly condemns” the attack on its studios and offices in Iraq’s Baghdad city and calls on the authorities to take immediate action, the multi-media company said in a statement on Monday.

“MBC Group strongly condemns the deliberate attack that has targeted MBC IRAQ’s studios and offices in Baghdad today, which has resulted in severe damage to studio and office property,” the company said in a statement.

“In terms of immediate action, MBC GROUP places the matter in the hands of the Iraqi authorities, trusting in its security protocols, as well as judicial process, in order to protect MBC IRAQ’s employees and the organization, which operates in Iraq in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country,’ the company added.

Malek al-Rougui, the host of the MBC’s ‘Malek Beltawilah’ TV show said on his official Twitter page that the attack was carried out by Iran-backed militias who stormed the Baghdad office over Friday’s episode, which focused on the life of prominent Arab poet Nizar Qabbani.

The episode touched on the 1981 suicide bomb attack against the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut that left Qabbani’s wife dead.

Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, killed by a US airstrike in January, was one of the people responsible for the attack. He was the commander of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) militias in Iraq, known as Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic.

‘Malek Beltawilah’, which means “long story short” in Arabic, focuses on a range of themes in each episode including historical events, influential figures, and religion.

(With inputs from Al Arabiya English’s Joanne Serrieh)

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