A surveillance image shows a suspect setting fire to the front gate of a house in Abu al-Khasib district, Basra, Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Basra Police)
Basra police arrest two suspects in car and house arson
BASRA — Police in Basra said they arrested two young men within hours of a fire that damaged a car and the front door of a house in Abu al-Khasib district.
A video circulating on social media shows one person pouring gasoline on a parked Toyota Crown and a nearby doorway before setting the fire and fleeing to another man waiting down the street.
In a statement, the Basra police command said a joint force from the Abu al-Khasib Police Department, the district station, and the Second Regiment carried out the arrests in the Sheikh Ibrahim area.
Maj. Gen. Latif Abdul Reda al-Saad, the Basra police commander, said the operation “reflects the readiness of the Basra Police Command and its ability to enforce security and stability.” He added that authorities “will not allow any attempt to threaten the security of citizens or encroach on their property.”
Police said the suspects confessed during interrogation and were referred to the judiciary.