Iraqi PM Kadhimi arrives in Maysan amid rising instability
In the latest instance of instability, an anti-drug judge was shot 15 times on Jan. 5. No perpetrator has been arrested yet.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi landed in Maysan on Wednesday following the deterioration of that southern province’s security and stability, his office announced.
Accompanied by his defense and interior ministers, Kadhimi’s visit comes a day after he established Maysan Operations Command to take control of the security affairs of the province, which has been seriously undermined by tribal conflicts and the illegal narcotics trade.
The Iraqi commander-in-chief also appointed Maj. Gen. Mohammad Zubaidi to lead the new operations center in the province.
In the latest instance of instability, an anti-drug judge was shot 15 times on Feb. 5. No perpetrator has been arrested yet.
In four years, over 1,000 people have been killed in the province from tribal conflicts, according to conflict resolution officials.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the southern provinces of Basra and Maysan, which both border Iran, are leading in the consumption and trafficking of narcotics that have increased since the 2003 US-led invasion.
