Conflict erupts over properties surrounding Samarra shrine
Owners of land adjacent to a holy shrine in Samarra, Iraq, are threatening legal action against the shrine's administrators, who allegedly are maneuvering to buy the properties on the cheap.
Property owners around the Holy Shrine of Askarian Imams in Samarra, Iraq, are being pressured to sell their land below market value, according to Salahuddin Provincial Council Chairman Ahmad al-Krayem.
In a Dec. 29 meeting with property owners, Krayem accused the shrine administration of blocking the areas surrounding the shrine and preventing landowners from investing in their properties in order to pressure them into selling at cheap prices. He said the administration, citing security concerns, is using checkpoints to limit access to the area.
