Anbar provincial council to challenge Babil's land transfer decision

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Anbar Provincial Council will challenge a decision by the Babil Provincial Council to transfer four areas in the Amentiye Fetih district into Babil's administrative boundaries, Anbar council head Hamid Dehham al-Alevi said. The disputed areas are al-Ajir, northern Haseva, Petra and Sahraviyya. Speaking at a press conference, al-Alevi said the decision conflicts with the official maps approved by Iraq's Ministry of Planning and that the land in question is subject to agricultural contracts and existing usufruct rights. He said the Anbar council had filed a request with the Babil council on July 27, 2026, under letter No. 2997, asking for the decision to be revoked and the file handled in accordance with legal procedures. Al-Alevi said the Anbar council would continue working with federal institutions and take all administrative and legal steps to protect the province's borders and the rights of its residents. He called for institutional dialogue and coordination between local governments and federal bodies, adding that the council would not allow any action that violates the constitutional and legal framework. According to official documents cited, the Babil council initiated the move to separate three of the areas administratively from Anbar and incorporate them into its own territory.