Iraqi TikTok star Om Fahad shot dead outside her home in Baghdad: All you need to know

Iraqi TikTok star Om Fahad was shot dead in a late-night attack outside her home in eastern Baghdad's Zoyouna district. As per Al Jazeera report, the viral creator of Tiktok was shot down by an unidentified assailant. The CCTV footage which captured the incident is being circulated on social media platform X. The video showed a person on a motorcycle, wearing dark clothing and a helmet who got off his bike and approached toward the black SUV. The individual then oepned the door and shot Om Fahad, who was seated inside the vehicle.

Reports have also claimed that the Iraqi social media star ‘Influencer’ Om Fahad was assassinated by Iranian militias of the Hashd Al Shaabi (PMF). However, Associated Press has reported that the Iraqi authorities is investigating her killing . Security source told AFP that the attacker appeared to have pretended to be making a food delivery. Another Iraqi security official, who requested anonymity told AP that the assailant shot the victim and then took her phone and fled the scene. 

Who was Iraqi TikTok star Om Fahad?

Om Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Mahdi Sawadi, was a popular TikTok star. 

With nearly half a million followers, Sawadi shared videos of herself dancing to pop music.

Last year in February 2023, she was sentenced to six months in prison by a court as her videos contained "indecent speech that undermined modesty and public morality". The Iraqi government also launched a campaign last year to clean up social media content that it said breached Iraqi "morals and traditions".

Notably, Sawadi wasn't the first prominent social media figure to be gunned down in central Baghdad. Last year, Noor Alsaffar, also known as "Noor BM," a transgender individual with a significant social media following, was also tragically shot and killed in the city.

(With inputs from ANI, AP, AFP)