Baghdad: The Iraqi Artists Syndicate mourned on Tuesday the Iraqi actress Salima Khudair, who passed away in the Iraqi capital Baghdad at the age of 80 after a long struggle with multiple illnesses. The syndicate said in a statement: “With deep sorrow and grief, we mourn the actress Salima Khudair, asking God Almighty to have mercy on her and grant patience and solace to her family and loved ones. Indeed, to God we belong and to Him we shall return.” The late actress was one of the most prominent Iraqi actresses over the past 60 years, participating in most dramatic and theatrical works, as well as a number of films. She was distinguished in performing the role of the sacrificial mother and had a great ability to portray complex roles.

In recent years, she suffered from facial disfigurement due to a makeup error in one of the television works, which caused her to withdraw from the spotlight. Separately, the veteran Iraqi singer Dr. Fadel Awad denied rumors of his death that spread on social media platforms on Monday evening. Awad, one of the most prominent Iraqi singers, said, “These are rumors, and I am currently living with my family in the capital Baghdad, and I am surprised by the spread of such rumors to disturb people with false news.”