Iraq warns strikes threaten prison holding ‘highly dangerous’ inmates

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Justice Ministry warned Sunday that repeated strikes around Baghdad International Airport are threatening the security of a nearby prison holding what it described as “highly dangerous terrorists.”

Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Laibi said the areas around the airport and Karkh Central Prison had been struck repeatedly in recent days, with six strikes recorded Sunday alone. “Some of which were close to the prison,” he said.

Justice Minister Khaled Shwani visited Taji Central Prison last week to review security measures, saying the overall situation in Iraqi prisons was “reassuring” — a visit that came after Iraqi air defenses shot down a drone that approached Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad. Authorities moved quickly to clarify that incident, in what appeared to be an effort to prevent speculation about a repeat of the facility’s history: Abu Ghraib was the site of a major jailbreak roughly a decade ago.

The warning comes as Iran-aligned Iraqi militias continue launching attacks they say target U.S. interests across Iraq and the region, with many projectiles landing in or near civilian and residential areas.