The political background is the race Competition between Prime Minister Nouri Maliki , a Shia Islamist , and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi , a secular Shia supported Supporting by Iraq 's Sunnis .

Iyad Allawi 's political group won two more parliamentary seats than the Prime Minister 's .

Three of the five Islamic leaders , Abdelhamid Abou Zeid , Abdel Krim and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed Killing , while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled Escaping to Libya and Iyad ag Ghali fled Escaping to Algeria .