Basra police arrest two tribal sheikhs, 11 others after armed clash

BASRA — North Basra Police Directorate announced Sunday the arrest of two tribal sheikhs and 11 other suspects following an armed altercation between the Al-Bu Basiri and Miah tribes in Al-Dair district.

The directorate said Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Mohammadawi directed the formation of a joint security force from Al-Dair Police Station, supported by the 12th Federal Police Brigade and the North Basra Emergency Regiment.

“The force swiftly and decisively moved to the scene, where it imposed a tightly sealed security cordon and established full control over the scene in record time, preventing any attempt to expand the clash,” the statement said.

The operation resulted in the arrest of two sheikhs from both sides and 11 suspects accused of instigating tribal disputes. Police seized one Kalashnikov rifle, 740 rounds of ammunition, one vehicle and three motorcycles.

The suspects were referred to the Al-Dair Criminal Investigation Division for legal measures.

“Dealing with such armed disputes will be carried out firmly and without leniency,” the directorate said. “Restricting weapons to the hands of the state is the fundamental pillar for protecting society and preventing the recurrence of tribal clashes.”

Armed tribal clashes have recurred in Basra over the past two years. On Feb. 13, a police officer was killed and three emergency regiment members wounded during a raid targeting suspects in an earlier tribal killing; eight suspects were arrested. On Feb. 7, two people were killed and three wounded in a tribal shooting in Ezzedine Salim district.

In December, the Interior Ministry said tribal disputes and “dakka” attacks would be prosecuted under the anti-terrorism law, referencing a July clash in which a wounded patient was fatally shot inside a hospital.