Sources in the security services have revealed to Alhurra new developments related to the file of drone attacks that targeted vital locations in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in recent weeks, as concerns grow over the government’s inability to pursue those responsible.
According to the sources, Iran-backed factions employ various tactics to carry out their attacks—sometimes by exploiting government personnel to facilitate the transport of drones to the launch site, and at other times by exerting pressure on authorities to prevent them from pursuing the perpetrators.
Security investigation results indicate, according to the sources, that “the parties behind these attacks are Kataib Hezbollah and the Nujaba militia.” However, the two groups do not officially claim responsibility for the operations; instead, they “use alternative names under what is called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.”
An Iraqi officer working in a sensitive security agency, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that “the problem is that we know who carries out the attacks, but when we try to arrest them, certain parties intervene to pressure the authorities and prevent the operations from being carried out.”
As an example, the Iraqi officer told Alhurra that Iraqi security forces recently managed to arrest several suspects accused of launching drones that targeted Victoria Base near Baghdad International Airport and other locations inside the capital over the past two weeks.
“Among those detained was an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel who serves as a battalion commander in the Federal Police,” the source said, adding that investigations proved he had helped transport a drone from the Shaala district in northern Baghdad to the Hay al-Jihad area near the airport in order to bypass security checkpoints.
“The officer was arrested along with the attackers, who belonged to Kataib Hezbollah, but only a few hours later they were all released after pressure was exerted on the government by parties linked to those factions,” the Iraqi officer said.
Victoria Base, located west of Baghdad, hosts Iraqi forces from the Counter-Terrorism Service as well as U.S. and NATO forces operating under a security agreement with the Iraqi government.
Since the outbreak of the U.S.–Israeli war against Iran on February 28, armed factions have gradually escalated their attacks in Iraq. They initially targeted military bases hosting U.S. forces in Baghdad and Erbil, as well as oil facilities in Basra and the Kurdistan Region, before recently beginning near-daily attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and on Victoria Base.
Despite security agencies possessing accurate information about the identities of those carrying out the attacks, they have been unable to take decisive action against them due to fears of retaliatory responses by those factions.
As the attacks intensified, the Iraqi government moved last week to arrest a group accused of carrying them out when a force from the Counter-Terrorism Service surrounded a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in the Zayouna district of eastern Baghdad to detain suspects involved in launching drones. However, the operation was canceled at the last moment, according to the Iraqi officer.
“The force withdrew from the site without carrying out the mission after receiving direct orders to pull back,” the officer said.
On that day, video clips circulated showing a force consisting of several Humvee vehicles from the Counter-Terrorism Service stationed at the entrance to a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters.
Later, the Popular Mobilization Forces Authority denied “reports that any security agency had searched its headquarters in the capital, Baghdad.” In a statement, it said it “categorically denies the accuracy of information circulating on some social media platforms about any security agency searching its headquarters in Baghdad.”
In fact, the forces did not enter the headquarters, according to an Iraqi government adviser. Instead, they withdrew after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received a phone call from the Chief of Staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces Authority, Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, who is also a prominent leader in Kataib Hezbollah.
The government adviser told Alhurra that “al-Muhammadawi threatened escalation and retaliation against any arrest operation targeting members of the Popular Mobilization Forces,” which “prompted al-Sudani to issue orders for the military force to withdraw in order to avoid tensions that we do not need at the present time.”
The government did not issue any statement or comment regarding the incident.
In response to a request sent by Alhurra seeking comment on the information contained in this report, Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said: “As a government, at this time we have no comment other than the official statements issued by official institutions, whether from the military spokesman for the commander-in-chief or from the Joint Operations Command.”
Meanwhile, the military spokesman for the prime minister and the head of the Security Media Cell did not respond to Alhurra’s calls.
Last week, the Iraqi government described the shelling of the U.S. Embassy as a “terrorist act” and vowed to pursue those responsible for launching the rockets and drones and bring them to “justice.”
Sabah al-Numan, the Iraqi government’s military spokesman, told Alhurra in early March that authorities are working to pursue the entities responsible for launching drone attacks in different parts of Iraq.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
