Defense Ministry: suspects arrested for stealing war remnants from demining company

BASRA — Iraq’s Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that its Directorate of Intelligence and Security had apprehended a group accused of stealing war remnants from a demining company operating in Basra.

The ministry said the arrests were carried out based on “precise intelligence information.” Units from the Basra Intelligence and Security Directorate, part of the General Directorate of Intelligence and Security, located the suspects and took them into custody.

According to the statement, intelligence teams gathered and analyzed data to determine the group’s whereabouts before making the arrests. Legal proceedings have begun, and the individuals were referred to the judiciary.

Iraq remains heavily affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind from decades of conflict, including the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and battles against ISIS. According to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, nearly 35,000 Iraqis had been killed or injured by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices as of the end of 2022.