Baghdad court sentences three defendants to 15 years over K1 base attack in Kirkuk

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad has sentenced three defendants to 15 years in prison for a Katyusha rocket attack on the K1 base in Kirkuk. The court found Abbas Qasim Abbas, Mehdi Firas Mustafa and Abdullah Zayn al-Abidin Haydar guilty under Article 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Law, according to the ruling. The court determined that the defendants fired rockets at the K1 base in the Elyaji area of Kirkuk, striking near the Counter-Terrorism Command and a French unit affiliated with the international coalition. Judges ruled the act was carried out to undermine security and stability, spread fear among the public and pursue terrorist objectives. The sentence was issued under Article 4/1 and Article 2/7 of the 2005 Counter-Terrorism Law No. 13, in conjunction with Article 132/1 of the amended Penal Code No. 111 of 1969. The court said the defendants' detention period would be counted from April 2025, and the verdict was announced unanimously on September 3, 2026. The ruling was delivered in an in-person hearing and is subject to appeal, the court said.