Iraq mobilizes additional forces south amid violent protests

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered the mobilization of nine Iraqi security forces regiments from Baghdad to Basra, which is currently embroiled in violent protests, the Basra police director said in a press conference on Sunday.

“The forces that will be arriving in Basra are nine regiments; six of them are from the Emergency Response Team, and three are from the Counter-Terrorism Bureau,” Director of Police in Basra, Maj. Gen. Jasim al-Saadi, revealed.

Saadi also stated that the mission of the forces is “to protect…oil-fields, ports, border points, banks, and others that if targeted could result in economic losses to Iraq.”

Basra, an oil-rich province raking in most of the country’s revenue from the sale of the natural resource, has been leading this past week’s protests.

The security forces’ use of violence in the southern provinces’ demonstrations has caused dozens of casualties, according to reports.

The demonstrators denounced the government’s inaction to resolve issues such as the area’s high unemployment rate and the poor quality of public services.

Maj. Gen. Thamir Hussni claims the priority of the forces is to maintain “peace” and “security” in the province.

Representatives of the protesters described the actions of the central government as an exaggeration and called on Baghdad to meet their demands before they increase the list of items on the agenda.

On Sunday, the protests continued in Basra, Babylon, and Dhi Qar, according to security sources. The headquarters of the Wisdom (Hikma), Badr, and Fadhila parties, as well as the Nasiriyah prison holding political dissidents, were also targeted by protesters.

“Commander-in-chief Haider al-Abadi directly and exclusively” will be in command of “the mobilization and operation of these forces,” Saadi said during the Sunday press conference.

A spokesperson for the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militias in Kirkuk on Sunday claimed Baghdad had mobilized regiments of security forces from areas disputed between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to central and southern Iraq.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany