Iraq's top military chief visits Basra naval headquarters

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulamir Rashid Yarallah, arrived at the Navy headquarters in the Basra operational area on Monday with a senior military delegation, the Defense Ministry said. The ministry said the visit aimed to follow recent developments on the ground and to assess the Navy's operational readiness in person. According to the ministry, the visit was carried out within the framework of strengthening the security of Iraq's territorial waters and protecting the country's maritime interests. It came a day after protests were held outside the Kuwaiti consulate building in Basra over the killing of an Iraqi fisherman by Kuwaiti coast guard units several days earlier. Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi said Saturday he had directed the Foreign Ministry, the Chief of Staff and security units in Basra to monitor the details of the incident. He stressed that all necessary legal measures should be taken to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents and to protect citizens' lives and property. No further details on the investigation were immediately available.