A new fleet of 2025-model Hyundai and Mercedes fire and rescue vehicles delivered to the Karbala Civil Defense Directorate to enhance emergency response capabilities.
Karbala receives new fire and rescue vehicles to boost civil defense capacity
KARBALA — The Karbala Civil Defense Directorate has added a new fleet of 2025-model fire and rescue vehicles to its emergency response arsenal, including specialized units from Mercedes and Hyundai, as part of a broader Interior Ministry effort to modernize civil defense capabilities across Iraq.
In a statement Thursday, the directorate said the vehicles were received “with steady steps toward development” and placed into service immediately to enhance firefighting readiness. The delivery was overseen by Maj. Gen. Mohsen Kazem Al-Zamli, Director General of Civil Defense, and Brig. Saad Ismail Al-Muhyawiy, head of the Karbala Civil Defense Directorate.
The fleet includes ladder-equipped fire trucks, multi-purpose tankers, and vehicles capable of drawing water directly from rivers to aid firefighting operations in rural or infrastructure-limited areas.
Officials said the additions are part of an ongoing program to improve public safety infrastructure and reflect Iraq’s push to reinforce its civil defense fleet nationwide. Al-Zamli has led several modernization initiatives across governorates, while Al-Muhyawiy continues efforts specific to Karbala.
Earlier this year, on May 20, officials announced Iraq was finalizing the acquisition of two emergency helicopters for the Civil Defense Directorate, with Iraqi pilots and technicians undergoing training in South Korea. On Sept. 17, the directorate signed contracts with companies in the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Finland to manufacture additional advanced firefighting vehicles destined for Baghdad and other cities.
