Interior Ministry detains force commander after Baghdad clash wounds three civilians

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Ministry said Sunday it had detained the commander of a security force and opened an urgent investigation after a confrontation during an official operation in Baghdad’s southern Zaafaraniya district left three civilians injured.

The ministry said the incident occurred while a force under its authority carried out an assignment ordered by Baghdad Operations Command in the Targumaniya area of Zaafaraniya, leaving three citizens with injuries of varying severity. Senior Undersecretary Hussein al-Awadi ordered the commander’s immediate detention and directed an investigation to determine responsibility and take measures against any personnel found negligent.

“The Ministry of Interior confirms that protecting citizens and preserving their dignity and safety represent a fundamental priority in its work,” the ministry said, pledging to announce the results transparently and hold accountable anyone found to have violated the law.

The clash was linked to a dispute that has continued for more than a year in Targumaniya, where residents say they face eviction from homes built on inhabited agricultural land. Violence broke out early Sunday after machinery began field operations as part of measures to remove residents in favor of a local investor seeking to clear the site.

The unrest follows protests by residents last Wednesday, when demonstrators burned tires and blocked roads after a pre-dawn operation led to the arrest of several local residents in the same dispute. Residents have cited previous Council of Ministers decisions prohibiting action against inhabited agricultural lands and calling for basic services and the settlement of residents’ legal status, and have appealed to the prime minister to intervene and prevent forced evictions.