Diwaniyah operation nets suspects in police college student killing

DIWANIYAH — Iraq’s Ministry of Interior announced Monday the arrest of “all” suspects in connection with the killing of police college student Amir Jaber Al-Khalidi in Diwaniyah. The arrests follow what officials described as a “precise security operation” led by local security forces and intelligence units.

The crime occurred on Feb. 13, 2025, in the Al-Haffar area of the Al-Shamiya district and was reportedly motivated by tribal revenge. A security source told 964media that Al-Khalidi—a student from the 71st class at the Police College—was shot ten times while visiting home on leave. Armed men from a rival tribe opened fire in retaliation for a murder allegedly committed by his cousin.

The ministry said the operation was carried out under the supervision of Major General Najah Mahmoud Sultan, head of Diwaniyah’s police force. A joint task force—comprising the Diwaniyah Directorate of Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism, the Falcons Intelligence Cell, Rapid Response units and local police.

“This operation was based on accurate intelligence and continuous field monitoring from the moment the crime was committed until the suspects were arrested,” the ministry’s statement said.

On Tuesday, the Federal Intelligence Agency confirmed the arrest of another suspect in Al-Mishkhab, a district in Najaf governorate, who confessed to participating in the murder. According to the statement, “The suspect admitted to collaborating with the killer in this heinous crime and has been referred to the relevant investigative authorities to face justice.”

In response, security forces launched a series of raids to apprehend those involved. The Ministry of Interior reiterated its commitment to holding those responsible for tribal revenge attacks accountable, stating, “We will continue to pursue anyone who seeks to destabilize public safety or take the law into their own hands.”