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Katyusha Rocket Targets Baghdad Int’l Airport, Security Operations Kick Off

Weapons that were found by the Rapid Response Forces in Maysan Governorate, Iraq ( Iraqi Security Media Cell)
Weapons that were found by the Rapid Response Forces in Maysan Governorate, Iraq ( Iraqi Security Media Cell)
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Katyusha Rocket Targets Baghdad Int’l Airport, Security Operations Kick Off

Weapons that were found by the Rapid Response Forces in Maysan Governorate, Iraq ( Iraqi Security Media Cell)
Weapons that were found by the Rapid Response Forces in Maysan Governorate, Iraq ( Iraqi Security Media Cell)

Iraq witnessed a series of security events across multiple governorates on Thursday. The events included the targeting of the Baghdad International Airport with a Katyusha rocket.

Also, the Iraqi security forces launched an anti-terrorism and gun control operations in four Iraqi governorates dubbed ‘Al-Waad Al-Sadiq’.

“A security operation was launched in Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh governorates,” the spokesman for the Joint Operations Command Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji told the Iraqi state news agency.

Security operations also continued in Maysan, Al Muthanna, Saladin and Basra governorates in southern Iraq.

Meanwhile, armed militias continued targeting of military camps, the Baghdad International Airport and logistics supply convoys belonging to the US-led International Coalition.

Katyusha rocket fell in the vicinity of Baghdad airport but caused no casualties, Iraq state news agency INA said on Thursday, the second such attack on the airport this week.

On Sunday, three Katyusha rockets landed within the perimeter of the airport. One of them landed on an airport garage, damaging four civilian vehicles without causing casualties.

Baghdad airport and other locations, including the US embassy and military bases that house US troops and diplomats, have been the target of frequent missile attacks since last year.

Washington blames armed Iraqi factions linked to Iran for the attacks targeting its embassy and military bases where US soldiers are deployed.

In other news, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi arrived in Erbil on Thursday morning to meet with top Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials.

Kadhimi’s visit to the Kurdistan region will focus on discussing the national budget, areas of disputes, the Peshmerga, and borders.

A statement issued by Kadhimi's office quoted him as saying: “The sovereignty unites us as Iraqis and we cannot neglect it”, indicating that, “the opportunity is now available to strengthen joint action, provide the best effort that serves the Iraqi people, and hold elections in a way that expresses the Iraqi's real choices”.

President of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masrour Barzani, for his part, expressed appreciation for the Iraqi PM's visit, stressing the region's readiness to make efforts in reforming and resolving the outstanding issues between the federal government and the regional government.

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Arab World

Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."