Cerfussah security file remains closed 12 years after its recapture from ISIS

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Cerfussah, a district in Iraq's Babil province about 60 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, was abandoned after ISIS seized it in 2014 and has seen limited civilian return in the 12 years since Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) retook it under the "Ashura Operation." Iraq's Ministry of Migration and Displacement still lists roughly 6,000 families under the Cerfussah file, with between 500 and 700 having completed security vetting and awaiting approval to return. Former Babil lawmaker Hassan Fedam said the area is heavily laced with mines and explosives, and that any return would require extensive clearance and inspection. The district's disputed status also extends beyond local security: a 2018 Reuters report alleged that short-range Iranian ballistic missiles were stored there, and in 2024 U.S. airstrikes hit PMF positions in the area. Cerfussah is listed among priority zones under Baghdad's program to consolidate weapons under state control. The continued PMF presence in the district, alongside allegations of weapons production, has turned a humanitarian and security file into a broader political dispute. No further details on a timeline for reopening the area were immediately available.