Baghdad, Erbil Coordinate Intelligence, Military Operations

A general view shows the Citadel of Erbil in Erbil, Iraq April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
A general view shows the Citadel of Erbil in Erbil, Iraq April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
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Baghdad, Erbil Coordinate Intelligence, Military Operations

A general view shows the Citadel of Erbil in Erbil, Iraq April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari
A general view shows the Citadel of Erbil in Erbil, Iraq April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Iraq's military spokesman Yehya Rasool unveiled a joint military cooperation between the federal government and Kurdistan to exchange intelligence information and track down ISIS terrorist cells in addition to filling the military gap in some Iraqi cities and provinces.

Rasool highlighted joint security meetings and understandings between Iraqi Joint Forces Command and Kurdistan border guards. The meetings focused on discussing cooperation and coordination with regard to conducting joint military operations in some areas where intelligence information indicates the presence of ISIS terrorist cells, as well as exchanging intelligence information.

Rasool pointed out that "the areas in which joint cooperation takes place start from Diyala, Khanaqin, Kirkuk, and other regions and other areas witnessing terrorist ISIS activities.

Earlier, the Iraqi joint forces conducted security operations to secure several regions within “Heroes of Iraq 4”.

Moreover, the Military Intelligence Directorate stated Sunday that two ISIS terrorists were arrested in Kirkuk governorate.

In a statement, the directorate said: "The arrest took place in an operation carried out according to accurate intelligence information", adding that the terrorists used to provide logistical support to ISIS, including food and communication devices. Besides, they participated in the clashes with the Iraqi security forces.

"Terrorists are wanted by the judiciary under an arrest warrant," the statement indicated.

In another context, Anbar Criminal Court, in its first instance, issued a death sentence by hanging for the criminal who killed soldier Mustafa al-Athari in Falluja in May 2015. Athatri's body was hung on the Fallujah Bridge, sparking a wave of popular anger.

The Media Center of the Supreme Judicial Council stated that “the convicted person confessed to having committed the crime, and the court issued the verdict in accordance with Article 4/1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law."



Assad Intelligence Archive Sparks Controversy in Iraq

Archive image of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shaking hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Damascus (X) 
Archive image of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shaking hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Damascus (X) 
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Assad Intelligence Archive Sparks Controversy in Iraq

Archive image of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shaking hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Damascus (X) 
Archive image of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shaking hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Damascus (X) 

A recent visit to Damascus by Izzat al-Shabandar, the special envoy of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has stirred political tensions in Baghdad amid speculation that he was handed sensitive intelligence files from the Syrian regime.

The trip, which included a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has drawn criticism from within Iraq’s Coordination Framework, with some figures accusing the prime minister of using the visit to obtain the so-called “Assad intelligence archive” for political leverage ahead of parliamentary elections set for November.

The archive is believed to contain compromising material on Iraqi political and paramilitary figures, some of whom opposed Saddam Hussein’s regime or supported Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. Reports suggest that such information could be used in electoral rivalries.

Al-Sudani’s coalition, the Reconstruction and Development Alliance, has denied any such intentions. Coalition member Abdulhadi al-Saadaoui dismissed the rumors, stating: “The prime minister has no need for such tactics, especially given his broad popularity and growing support across Iraq.”

Since Assad’s fall in late 2024, speculation has grown around the fate of Syria’s intelligence files. Critics, including MP Youssef al-Kilabi, claim they could be exploited to damage opponents. Al-Kilabi alleged in a post on X that the archive had been handed to an Iraqi guest by former Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

Shabandar responded in a post of his own, saying he respected those who offered reasoned criticism, but dismissed what he called “electronic flies and stray dogs barking for their masters,” suggesting political motives behind the backlash.