Ammar al-Saffar was the Deputy Health Minister of Iraq. On November 19, 2006, he became the highest-ranking Iraqi official to be kidnapped when he was seized by men in police uniforms.

A member of the Dawa Party, Saffar lived in exile in Britain until he returned to his home country following the 2003 invasion of Iraq

2003 invasion of Iraq

The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

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In February 2007, another Deputy Health Minister, Hakim al-Zamili

Hakim al-Zamili

Hakim Abbas Mousa Abbas al-Zamili is an Iraqi politician from the Sadrist Movement who was deputy Health Minister from May 2006 until April 2007.- Health Ministry :...

, and General Hamid al-Shammari, were both arrested on suspicion they had played a role in Saffar and others' kidnappings. However, the chrages were dropped in March 2008. As of 2008, Saffar remains missing.