Iraqi Minister Sacks Babylon Police Chief after Deadly Operation

Members of the Iraqi security forces stand guard during the reopening of the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s central Tahrir Square on October 31, 2020. (Sabah Arar/AFP)
Members of the Iraqi security forces stand guard during the reopening of the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s central Tahrir Square on October 31, 2020. (Sabah Arar/AFP)
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Iraqi Minister Sacks Babylon Police Chief after Deadly Operation

Members of the Iraqi security forces stand guard during the reopening of the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s central Tahrir Square on October 31, 2020. (Sabah Arar/AFP)
Members of the Iraqi security forces stand guard during the reopening of the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s central Tahrir Square on October 31, 2020. (Sabah Arar/AFP)

Iraq's interior minister dismissed Babylon province's police chief on Friday and several officers were called for questioning following an operation that reportedly led to the deaths of 20 members of the same family.

The operation, details of which remain unclear, took place Thursday when rapid intervention units and intelligence forces sought to storm a house in the village of Al-Rashayed in the central Iraqi province.

In a brief initial statement, security forces said they had "pursued two individuals accused of terrorism" who "opened fire indiscriminately" once surrounded.

An investigation was opened "after the discovery of a number of dead bodies of citizens in a house", the statement added.

On Friday, Interior Minister Othman al-Ghanemi travelled to Al-Rashayed where he sacked the police chief and announced the formation of a commission to investigate "the unit that carried out the operation,” AFP reported.

The official Iraqi News Agency gave a death toll of 20 civilians from the same family, and said that the owner of the property had opened fire and "refused to surrender".

A separate statement from the security forces said a "number of officers and individuals" had been called in for questioning in connection with the incident, without providing details on their identities.

Interior ministry official Saad Maan posted a video of the premises on Twitter, showing a house with a blackened facade and gutted doors and windows.

He denounced a "crime on all levels", without identifying those to blame, and said the investigation was ongoing to "understand all the circumstances of the incident".

On Thursday evening, security sources and media outlets had suggested a suspect linked with ISIS or drug trafficking rings had been involved.



Israel Says It Arrests 4 Hezbollah Operatives in Southern Lebanon

 A general view of southern Lebanon, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, near Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of southern Lebanon, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, near Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israel Says It Arrests 4 Hezbollah Operatives in Southern Lebanon

 A general view of southern Lebanon, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, near Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of southern Lebanon, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, near Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel said its troops arrested on Wednesday four Hezbollah operatives, including a local commander, when they entered what it described as a restricted area in southern Lebanon.

The two sides entered into a ceasefire early Wednesday that appears to be holding, but Israel has said it will strike the group in response to any violations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the arrests in a statement. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

The statement said Israeli troops have been ordered to prevent people from returning to villages near the border, where the forces are still deployed.

The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance.