Five officers injured in Basra shootout during arrest operation

BASRA — Five members of a joint security force were injured early Wednesday during an operation to arrest a wanted man at a farm in Khour al-Zubair, south of Basra, according to security sources.

A source told 964media that the incident occurred around 3 a.m. when a unit from the Basra Crime Directorate, supported by a SWAT detachment, moved to execute judicial arrest warrants at the site. “The force came under fire from one of the individuals inside the farm,” the source said.

The gunfire was reportedly opened by the son of the wanted man, triggering an exchange of fire. “Five officers were injured in the clash — four from SWAT and one from the crime division — and their conditions are stable after being taken to the hospital,” the source said.

Security forces arrested seven people, including the wanted man and his son, who allegedly fired on the team. A Kalashnikov rifle was seized at the scene.

The exchange of gunfire caused a fire on the farm, which civil defense teams later extinguished.