Blind fish population found in underground river beneath Anbar desert

ANBAR, Iraq — Iraqi security and environmental teams have discovered an underground water system deep beneath the arid Anbar desert, where a rare population of blind fish living in permanent darkness was identified. Officials said the underground river is connected to a cave system that has been the subject of long-running research, and that the water resources are well preserved. The discovery was made during field inspections carried out with an underground team working in the desert's harsh terrain. Environmental experts said the species can survive only in lightless subterranean waters and that the Anbar find carries biological diversity value. Details of the discovery are to be released publicly through a joint report by the relevant institutions. Further studies will continue to map the underground water system and protect the fish population, according to officials.