Baghdad Turns to Drones to Track Illegal Seizure of Public Land

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq will deploy drones across Baghdad to detect and document illegal encroachments on public land, while establishing a high-level committee and local monitoring teams to strengthen enforcement after a deadly confrontation during a recent operation in the capital.

Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir al-Shammari, director of the office of Iraq's commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the measures Sunday, saying authorities intend to use aerial surveillance to identify encroachments and prevent further violations involving state-owned land and property.

Shammari said the principal objective is to stop new encroachments while ensuring existing violations are systematically monitored and documented.

A central high-level committee will oversee the effort, while additional committees will operate across different areas of Baghdad.

The local bodies will be responsible for identifying, following up on and recording violations so that the relevant authorities can take the necessary legal and administrative measures.

The use of drones marks an expansion of the government's efforts to monitor land use across a capital where unauthorized residential and commercial construction has remained a persistent challenge.

Deadly Dora incident raises urgency

The decision comes after security forces were attacked during an operation to remove illegal encroachments from state land in the Dora area of southern Baghdad.

A brigadier general and another member of the security forces were killed in the shooting, while four other people were wounded.

The incident heightened concern over the risks faced by personnel tasked with enforcing government orders against unauthorized occupation of public property.

Following the attack, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered strict action against violators and instructed security forces to remain fully prepared to confront anyone attempting to seize state land.

The government's latest measures indicate that authorities are seeking to combine stronger enforcement with more systematic surveillance in an effort to identify violations before they develop into larger or more difficult disputes.

Drones to support documentation and enforcement

According to Shammari, the drone program will cover encroachments throughout Baghdad rather than focusing solely on areas already subject to removal operations.

Aerial monitoring could allow authorities to document construction or occupation of public land more quickly and provide local committees with evidence for follow-up action.

The announcement did not specify how many drones would be deployed, what agencies would operate them or when the new monitoring system would become fully operational.

It also did not detail whether the system would be used primarily to detect new construction, monitor known violations or support security forces during enforcement operations.

The commander-in-chief's office nevertheless presented the initiative as part of a broader effort to prevent continued encroachment on public property.

Long-running urban challenge

Successive Iraqi governments have carried out campaigns against unauthorized commercial and residential structures in Baghdad.

Such operations have typically sought to restore state control over public land, remove structures built without legal authorization and address the impact of unregulated development on roads, public services and the capital's urban environment.

Authorities have also framed the issue as one involving public rights, arguing that illegal occupation of state land can obstruct planned development and undermine municipal management.

The latest initiative adds a technological component to those enforcement efforts.

By combining drones with central and local committees, the government is seeking to create a more continuous system of surveillance, documentation and response rather than relying solely on periodic removal campaigns.

Security now central to enforcement strategy

The deaths in Dora have also added a security dimension to what is often treated primarily as a municipal or administrative issue.

The attack demonstrated that efforts to recover public land can expose security personnel to armed resistance.

Zaidi's subsequent instructions suggest the government intends to ensure that future enforcement teams operate with greater readiness and institutional coordination.

For Baghdad authorities, the challenge will now be to translate the new surveillance system into consistent enforcement while ensuring that legal procedures govern action against individuals accused of encroachment.

The government has presented the initiative as part of a wider push to safeguard public property and restore greater order to Baghdad's urban development.

The immediate focus, however, is clear: identify illegal encroachments earlier, document them more systematically and reduce the likelihood that unauthorized occupation of state land continues unchecked.