Iraq's army chief inspects territorial waters, reviews recent fisherman death

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulamir Rashid Yarallah, visited the Navy Command headquarters within the Basra operational area on Monday to inspect the country's territorial waters, the Defense Ministry said. He was accompanied by a senior military delegation and received by the Basra operations commander and the Navy commander. During the visit, Yarallah reviewed patrol activity by Iraqi warships along the country's coastline and received a detailed map-based briefing on the navy's role in securing ports and supporting supply and logistics missions. Yarallah also examined the circumstances of the recent death of an Iraqi fisherman, stressing that official procedures should be completed in line with applicable laws and agreements, the ministry said. The statement added that coordination among relevant institutions should continue and that mutual respect and good-neighborly relations should be strengthened to protect fishermen and ensure navigational safety in Iraq's territorial waters.