Basra removes 80 unauthorized stores in Al-Khudhara Market

BASRA — Basra Municipality on Wednesday removed 80 unauthorized shops and storage units from Al-Khudhara Market in the Al-Ashar area, saying the campaign is meant to organize public space and ease movement through one of the city’s busiest commercial districts.

The municipality said the operation was carried out with the Governorate’s Encroachment Removal Committee and supported by Basra emergency police units. “This campaign aims to organize the market, improve the urban landscape, and facilitate movement for citizens,” it said.

Officials said work is underway to identify “suitable alternatives for street vendors in the area” as part of broader efforts to ensure that public areas remain accessible and visually improved.

The market, located in central Basra, is one of the governorate’s most crowded commercial corridors, where informal stalls and encroachments have long narrowed walkways and complicated traffic flows.