Iraq launches large-scale security operation across western desert

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Armed Forces launched a wide-ranging security operation on May 18, 2026, covering the desert areas of Anbar, Najaf, Karbala and western Nineveh. The operation involves elite airborne units, Army aviation and Air Force elements, with the stated aim of tracking remnants of terrorist groups and securing open terrain. The Ministry of Defense said the desert geography provides conditions suitable for smuggling and militant activity, and announced that brigades specialized in desert warfare have been established for the area. The ministry added that movement across the desert is now largely monitored through thermal cameras and modern surveillance systems. Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee member Sakkar al-Muhammadawi said more than 950 thermal and smart cameras have been installed along border lines, covering more than 90 percent of sensitive zones. He said preventive operations have expanded from the border deep into the Anbar, western Nineveh, Najaf and Karbala deserts, with forces searching valleys and caves and destroying weapons caches. Security analysts said that beyond military measures, coordination with neighboring countries, the use of local intelligence and revitalizing the desert through economic investment offer long-term solutions to insecurity in the region.