Baghdad shuts down nine unlicensed metal smelting facilities in Nahrawan

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Baghdad Operations Command said nine unlicensed metal smelting facilities were shut down and dismantled in the Nahrawan area in the southeast of the capital. The command said the action was carried out under a directive from the Diwani Order Committee, which had tasked relevant agencies with closing and inspecting unauthorized factories, workshops and metal smelting furnaces as part of efforts to reduce environmental pollution. The operation involved the National Security Service, Rusafa Environmental Police, the Baghdad Environment Directorate and the Nahrawan Violations Unit, according to the command. Officials said the nine furnaces failed to meet required standards and were closed and removed from the site. The command said gases and odors released during the smelting process had caused environmental pollution and posed a threat to public health and safety. It added that several facility owners were detained and that legal proceedings had been initiated against them. The Baghdad Operations Command said the operation took place in the Nahrawan area in the southeast of the capital.