BAGHDAD, June 28 - Iraqi security forces detained multiple politicians, members of parliament and senior government officials in early-morning operations on Sunday that security and legal sources described as the opening phase of a broader anti-corruption drive ordered by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Units from the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) entered residences of political figures and high-ranking officials located within Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone during the pre-dawn hours and carried out a series of arrests, according to security and legal sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss sensitive matters with the media. No official statement confirming the arrests has been released.
Prime Minister Zaidi, who took office in May, has repeatedly vowed to confront entrenched corruption, a long-standing challenge in Iraqi governance despite past promises by successive administrations to hold officials accountable. The Sunday operation, the sources said, was executed on Zaidi's direct orders after Iraqi judicial authorities issued arrest warrants as part of an effort to dismantle what officials described as suspected corruption networks.
The latest round of raids follows recent detentions of several senior officials, including a deputy oil minister, on charges linked to corruption. Those earlier arrests prompted additional warrants that were acted upon during Sunday’s operations, the three sources said.
A senior source quoted by the state news agency INA told the agency that some of the recent arrests were based on testimony provided by Adnan al-Jumaili, the deputy oil minister for refining affairs, following his own detention on corruption-related charges. The source said al-Jumaili's statements implicated a wider group of officials in alleged schemes.
Security and legal sources said that some suspects were able to leave before security teams reached them. In response, authorities closed entrances to the Green Zone and launched a more extensive search operation. The same sources added that the campaign is expected to continue in the coming days.
Most senior Iraqi government officials, members of parliament and political leaders maintain residences or offices inside the Green Zone, which houses parliament, foreign embassies and the prime minister's office. Beyond the arrests and the closure of access points, officials have not provided further public details about the identities of those detained or the specific allegations that led to each arrest.
Summary of events:
- Elite CTS units raided homes and offices inside the Green Zone in early hours of June 28.
- Arrests were carried out following judicial warrants linked to an anti-corruption campaign ordered by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
- Testimony from Adnan al-Jumaili, the detained deputy oil minister for refining affairs, was cited by a state news agency source as implicating additional officials.