Search Continues for Kidnapped Iraqi Activist Amid Massive Security Deployment

Civilian activist Sajjad al-Iraqi
Civilian activist Sajjad al-Iraqi
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Search Continues for Kidnapped Iraqi Activist Amid Massive Security Deployment

Civilian activist Sajjad al-Iraqi
Civilian activist Sajjad al-Iraqi

Iraqi special anti-terrorism forces continue search operations in different areas of the southern Dhi Qar governorate to find the civilian activist who was kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday.

On Tuesday, video footage showed dozens of military vehicles wandering around in the streets of the southern city of Nasiriyah and other cities.

However, five days after the incident, forces of the Iraqi counter-terrorism service (ICTS) have yet failed to arrest those involved in the abduction of Sajjad al-Iraqi.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered Monday dispatching ICTS forces backed by the army's air force to search for al-Iraqi.

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

The Security Media Cell announced Tuesday the launch of the search for the kidnapped activist.

“Units from the ICTS, a regiment from Dhi Qar police and a regiment from the Sumer Operations Commando Brigade started a joint duty to search for al-Iraqi and arrest the kidnappers,” it announced in a statement.

Several observers raised questions over the delay in launching the operation to free the activist, although Dhi Qar Police Chief Hazem al-Waeli said on Monday that security forces were able to identify the kidnappers through the testimonies of eyewitnesses and al-Iraqi’s friends who were accompanying him when he got kidnapped.

For his part, Waeli pointed out that the police also used information retrieved from the tire tracks left behind by the abductor’s vehicle. He affirmed that security forces started taking necessary measures regarding the case.

Government security sources did not reveal yet the reasons preventing the release of al-Iraqi’s and the arrest of those involved.

However, a security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that those involved in the kidnap belong to a tribe that has wide influence among armed factions and is allied with Hadi al-Amiri’s Badr Organization.

For this reason, he stressed, forces are not rushing into its areas of influence to avoid unnecessary armed confrontations.

Many tribal members have been prosecuted on kidnapping and robbery charges, the source noted, adding that, most probably, they would open fire on security forces.

He also expected the activist to be released soon through a tribal settlement and without clashes.

Activists in Nasiriyah have earlier accused al-Ibrahimi tribe of being behind the abduction, driven mainly by political aims, but police sources said the motives behind the kidnapping remain unclear.

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

One of his companions was shot, but he survived his wounds and identified the kidnappers.



Will Regional Tensions Stall Palestinian Arms Handover in Lebanon?

A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
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Will Regional Tensions Stall Palestinian Arms Handover in Lebanon?

A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 
A poster in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut shows a Hamas fighter… (AFP) 

The escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict has disrupted Lebanon’s internal agenda, pausing progress on several sensitive files, including the handover of Palestinian weapons inside refugee camps. The disarmament initiative, which was scheduled to begin this week in Beirut’s camps, has now been delayed amid shifting regional dynamics.

According to official Lebanese sources, Palestinian factions have not yet received any instructions - either from Ramallah or Lebanese security agencies - regarding weapons collection. While this has halted implementation, sources say the file is still active. “The factions requested a grace period before the process begins in Beirut’s camps,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that the plan will instead start in the South.

The phased disarmament will begin in the southern camps under the jurisdiction of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, starting with Al-Buss camp near Tyre, followed by Rashidieh and Al-Burj Al-Shamali. No fixed timeline has been set, and implementation will proceed gradually.

A senior Fatah official, Azzam al-Ahmad, is expected to return to Beirut soon at the head of a security delegation to continue discussions on the framework and logistics of the disarmament plan. Al-Ahmad had visited Lebanon prior to Eid al-Adha to mediate internal Fatah disagreements and met with senior Lebanese security officials during his stay.

Palestinian analyst Hesham Debsi, director of the Tatwir Center for Studies, says the disarmament file has not been shelved. “This is not just a local issue; it’s closely tied to regional developments and international negotiations, particularly the US-Iran nuclear talks,” Debsi said.

He noted that the broader Israeli-Iranian confrontation has forced stakeholders to reconsider the timing of major initiatives, including the Arab-French-international conference previously planned to support the Palestinian state and Lebanese sovereignty.

Debsi emphasized that delays do not signal a reversal in political commitment. A joint statement in May between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed both parties’ agreement on limiting weapons to the Lebanese state and preventing camps from becoming safe havens for extremist groups.

While preparations are advancing, actual implementation will depend on Lebanon’s political assessment of the right moment to proceed.

Reports of internal dissent within Fatah over the arms file were acknowledged by Debsi but dismissed as resolved. “Some members objected for political or organizational reasons, including feelings of exclusion. Others viewed the decision as hasty,” he said. These concerns, he added, were addressed by the delegation from Ramallah, which also introduced structural reforms in the PLO, the Palestinian embassy, and Fatah’s leadership in Lebanon.

Palestinian armed presence in Lebanon is concentrated across 12 major camps, largely outside state control. Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine dominate these areas. Historically active pro-Syrian factions outside the camps, such as the PFLP-General Command and As-Saiqa, have largely lost their influence, with the Lebanese Army dismantling their remaining bases.