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Kadhimi Assigns Counter-Terrorism Unit to Free Kidnapped Activist

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
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Kadhimi Assigns Counter-Terrorism Unit to Free Kidnapped Activist

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Monday ordered dispatching a special anti-terror force backed by the army's air force to locate the Iraqi activist Sajjad al-Iraqi, who was kidnapped by a group of armed gunmen in the southern city of Nasiriyah.

Kadhimi’s orders came after the security forces and local police in Nasiriyah failed to free the activist three days after he was kidnapped.

“A force from the Anti-Terrorism Service was assigned to go to Dhi Qar governorate backed by army air forces to locate and free the kidnapped activist,” Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

Dhi Qar Police Chief Hazem al-Waeli on Monday revealed new information about al-Iraqi’s kidnapping.

“Security forces were able to identify the kidnapper through the testimonies of eyewitnesses and al-Iraqi’s friends who were accompanying him during the time of the kidnapping,” al-Waeli said, adding that the police also used information retrieved from the tire tracks left behind by the abductor’s vehicle.

Al-Waeli confirmed that security forces started taking necessary measures regarding the case.

Al-Iraqi was kidnapped by seven gunmen mounting a pick-up truck on Saturday evening from the Al-Azirij neighborhood north of Nasiriyah.

One of al-Iraqi’s companions was shot, but he survived his wounds and identified the kidnappers.

Despite activists in Nasiriyah accusing al-Ibrahimi tribe of being behind the abduction, driven mainly by political aims, al-Waeli said that the motives behind the kidnapping remain unclear.

“We have no information about the reason for his kidnapping, we do not know that there are tribal problems, or problems with posting on Facebook, or maybe a fight took place on the same day, but we will know all of that after the kidnappers are arrested,” al-Waeli said.

Protesters took to the streets soon after news of the kidnapping broke out. Demonstrators blocked bridges crossing the Euphrates River and closed down the majority of official offices in an effort to pressure local authorities and the police to uncover the whereabouts of al-Iraqi.

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Arab World

Israel Army Chief in South Lebanon, Says Hezbollah in ‘Difficult Position’

An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
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Israel Army Chief in South Lebanon, Says Hezbollah in ‘Difficult Position’

An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
An Israeli military vehicle moves past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)

Israel's military chief said on Sunday that Hezbollah had suffered a severe blow fighting Israeli forces and was now in a "very difficult position", as he met with troops in southern Lebanon. 

He spoke as the United States and Iran held talks in Switzerland after signing a preliminary agreement to end the broader Middle East war, with the conflict in Lebanon threatening to derail the deal. 

"Hezbollah has suffered a severe and significant blow, and we are committed to remaining prepared to continue operating and prevent its rebuilding," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, according to a military statement. 

"Hezbollah is in a very difficult position," he added. 

Hezbollah had pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March when the Iran-backed Lebanese group fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. 

Despite a new ceasefire announcement on Friday as part of the memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington, Israel and Hezbollah had continued to clash. 

However, there were no reports of fresh strikes in Lebanon since Saturday evening. 

Zamir vowed to defend the communities of northern Israel from Hezbollah rockets. 

"This is the purpose guiding all our efforts... The ceasefire that has been declared is fragile, and we must maintain a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations," Zamir said. 

Earlier on Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces had standing orders to act against any threat inside Lebanon and insisted they would remain in the so-called security zone established within occupied Lebanese territory. 

"There has never been, and there is currently no restriction on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon from acting to eliminate threats... As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon," Israel Katz said in a statement, referring to an area extending roughly 10 kilometers (six miles) into Lebanese territory that Israel is occupying. 

Katz's remarks came shortly after Iran warned that it would not enter talks on a broader agreement with Washington unless the war in Lebanon comes to an end. 

Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters engaged in fierce clashes this week, with Lebanese officials reporting dozens of people killed and the Israeli military reporting five of its own soldiers dead. 

Arab World

Iran Says Lebanon Conflict 'Main Topic' in US Talks

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Iran Says Lebanon Conflict 'Main Topic' in US Talks

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 20, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Iran said on Sunday that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and militant group Hezbollah will top the agenda in talks with the United States in Switzerland, as well as issues such as frozen Iranian funds and the sale of the country's oil.

"The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitment in Lebanon, this issue will be the main topic of discussion in today's talks," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a video shared by IRNA state news agency.

Tehran said on Thursday it had signed a deal with Washington to end months of hostilities that began on February 28 following US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Under the agreement, the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon was also due to stop, said AFP.

Iran's military announced on Saturday that it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

But there were no reports of fresh strikes in Lebanon after Saturday evening and Baqaei said since Saturday "a fragile cessation (in Lebanon) has been established".

He added that Tehran would also pursue the issue of its frozen and inaccessible funds during the talks.

"The issue of making available Iran's frozen or restricted assets, as well as the discussion related to issuing the necessary licenses for the sale of Iranian oil, will also be on the agenda," he said from Switzerland.

Iran has not officially disclosed the value of its frozen assets, though media reports have estimated them at more than $100 billion, largely frozen since the 1979 Iranian Revolution that toppled the US-backed shah.

According to Baqaei, the Iranian delegation will meet the US delegation in a "quadrilateral meeting" that will also include mediators Pakistan and Qatar.

Arab World

UN Security Council Warns of 'Imminent Risk of Mass Atrocities' in Sudan

A child looks at Sudanese women lining up to receive aid at the Al-Afad camp for displaced people in the town of Al-Dabba, northern Sudan, on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
A child looks at Sudanese women lining up to receive aid at the Al-Afad camp for displaced people in the town of Al-Dabba, northern Sudan, on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
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UN Security Council Warns of 'Imminent Risk of Mass Atrocities' in Sudan

A child looks at Sudanese women lining up to receive aid at the Al-Afad camp for displaced people in the town of Al-Dabba, northern Sudan, on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
A child looks at Sudanese women lining up to receive aid at the Al-Afad camp for displaced people in the town of Al-Dabba, northern Sudan, on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)

The United Nations Security Council said Saturday it is concerned over the "imminent risk of mass atrocities" in Sudan as it called on paramilitary forces encircling El-Obeid to back down.

The majority-Muslim southern city, in the Kordofan region, has been under siege for several months by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been at war with the regular army since April 2023.

"The members of the Security Council expressed concern at the imminent risk of mass atrocities and demanded the RSF immediately halt its assault on El-Obeid," the Security Council said in a statement.

"Council members called on the parties to the conflict to immediately halt the fighting."

The UN has voiced fears that there could be a repeat of the atrocities committed during the October 2025 assault on the city of El-Fasher, which it said bore "hallmarks of genocide."

The UN said Friday that Pekka Haavisto, the secretary-general's special envoy for Sudan, had called rebel paramilitary forces chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo to urge him not to attack El-Obeid.

Haavisto "underscored the need to urgently de-escalate the situation in El-Obeid and avoid any actions that may further worsen the already dire humanitarian situation and put civilian lives further at risk," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The official said aid workers were "preparing for the potential movements of large numbers of people" fleeing the city, and that "our humanitarian colleagues are doing the responsible thing, which is getting ready for the worst while hoping for the best."

Dujarric said Haavisto was also talking to countries with influence over the warring parties to encourage dialogue and prevent the assault.

The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than 11 million from their homes, creating what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.