Tara Fares built an Instagram profile which had amassed 2.7 million followers

She was killed around 5.45am Thursday in Baghdad by unknown attackers

Her death is the latest in a spate of murders of well-known women in the country

A model and Instagram influencer was fatally shot by unknown gunmen as she drove through the Iraqi capital on Thursday morning.

Tara Fares, 22, suffered 'three fatal bullet wounds' at the wheel of her Porsche convertible while driving through Baghdad's central Camp Sarah district.

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Her death has sent ripples through social media, where she had been building her own personal brand having amassed almost three million followers on Instagram.

The deaths of Instagram model Tara Fares, pictured, and three other successful women have sparked fear among those who dare to break the mould in the conservative country

The 22-year-old social media influencer and model was shot dead in her car in Baghdad on Thursday morning

The former beauty queen was taken to Baghdad's Sheik Zaid hospital at 5.45am local time.

She lived in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, and was said to rarely visit Baghdad.

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Her death was confirmed by the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, which announced an investigation has been opened, Kurdistan 24 reported.

It comes not long after two other women involved in the beauty industry were reported murdered in Iraq.

Rafeef al-Yaseri, who owned the 'Barbie' beauty centre, and Rasha al-Hassan, a beauty expert, died in mysterious circumstances at their homes in August.

Tara Fares (pictured) murder comes just days after that of Soad al-Ali, an Iraqi human rights activist who was also shot in her car in the southern city of Basra

Fares was the target of a deluge of online insults over her perceived lack of modesty, in a society where many adhere to hardline interpretations of Islam

On Wednesday, a human rights activist was shot dead as she got into her car in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, where violent anti-government protests have taken place in recent weeks.

Suad al-ali, head of an organisation called al-Weed al-Alaiami For Human Rights, had supported the protests.

An unidentified man opened fire at Suad al-Ali, killing her and reportedly wounding her husband.

Tara had made her name on Instagram, where she had built a huge fan-base and personal brand, specialising in fashion and beauty.

Ms Fares' bloody demise at the wheel of a white Porsche convertible in Baghdad on Thursday has sparked as much debate as her racy photos

But she had also won praise for her commentary on the reality of daily life in Iraq, where conservative attitudes towards women and fixed gender roles persist.

Following the announcement, fans began posting tributes on social media, with many hailing her bravery and openness on the issue of women's rights.

Tara, whose posts on the site feature tattoos, different hair colours and adventurous clothes, was a victim of her fame and targeted because of her lifestyle, Twitter users wrote.

'I am beyond disappointed and hurt after hearing about another tragic loss in Iraq.

'Tara Fares, a model and social media influencer was gunned down in broad daylight in #Baghdad,' one said.

'A young Iraq model was simply enjoying & loving life like other pretty girls.

'Unfortunately she got shooted (sic) & killed by few militants. I am truly heart broken & saddened by such a tragic news,' another wrote.

'This Thursday it was Tara... Next Thursday, who will it be?' a third tweeted.

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'Anyone who finds excuses for those who kill a girl just because she had decided to live like most other girls on the planet is an accomplice to her murder,' wrote Ahmad al-Basheer, an Iraqi satirist who lives in exile in Jordan after having faced death threats.