Iraq has seized 15 drone launch platforms and pledged to prevent attacks on neighboring countries, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Numan, said Saturday.
Al-Numan said Baghdad would not allow any security violations targeting neighboring states or the use of Iraqi territory as a launchpad for attacks against any country.
In remarks to reporters, Al-Numan stressed that security forces were pursuing any party using weapons outside state control, emphasizing that Iraq “will not be part of regional tensions.”
He said Iraqi authorities appreciated Saudi Arabia’s position aimed at containing the situation following recent attacks targeting the kingdom that originated from Iraqi territory.
In Maysan Governorate, investigations into the attacks are continuing alongside heightened security measures. “Firm directives” have also been issued to dismiss officials found negligent in handling the security file and to deploy sufficient forces across the province.
Missile Launcher Seized, Suspects Investigated
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of the Security Media Cell, said Iraqi authorities had seized a missile launch platform inside Iraq that was used in the attack targeting an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia. He added that field and intelligence operations were continuing to identify those involved.
Maan said an intelligence and security team had located and seized the platform, while forensic evidence, technical documentation, examination and analysis teams were completing the investigative procedures.
He added that Iraq remained in continuous contact with Saudi Arabia to exchange intelligence and security information and share the findings of the investigation.
Maan said Iraq was adopting a principle of “preventive sovereignty,” which includes preventing its territory from being used to launch attacks against any other country, as well as preventing attacks on Iraqi territory. He stressed that Iraq rejected turning the country into an arena for settling scores or a “proxy war.”
Security Changes and Border-Crossing Review
As part of the security measures, Maan said a number of commanders and officers had been rotated and replaced to strengthen command and control and field monitoring, describing the move as “a clear message to everyone that Iraq will not be lenient and will not allow any act of aggression.”
Regarding border crossings, he said some had been temporarily closed to review organizational, administrative and intelligence procedures and inspect sonar equipment.
Maan said the Shib, Mandali and Shalamcheh crossings had been opened for several hours on humanitarian grounds on the prime minister’s orders to facilitate the passage of citizens before being temporarily closed again. The Zurbatiyah and Al-Munthiriya crossings, meanwhile, remain open to travelers.
Saudi Arabia had announced that the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions had been attacked, prompting its precautionary shutdown. The attacks also resulted in injuries.
Following the attacks, Baghdad reiterated its rejection of the use of Iraqi territory as a launchpad for attacks against Saudi Arabia or any other neighboring country.
Source: Reuters
