Sheikh Karim al-Khalidi, a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, was shot and seriously wounded in the centre of the town, which lies some 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the Iraqi capital, on Wednesday evening.
Sistani is Iraq`s most senior Shiite Muslim cleric whose stature dwarfs that of any Shiite politician, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
"Unknown gunmen attacked Sheikh Karim al-Khalidi in al-Qassim," said an official in Sistani`s office in the holy Shiite city of Najaf in south Iraq.
The attack was the first assassination attempt on Khalidi, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A medical official in Hilla, capital of Babil province of which al-Qassim is part, said Khalidi was "in serious condition, he is still in the hospital as he was shot in the chest." (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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