Iraq's Hajj and Umrah chief meets Samarra police commander on pilgrimage security

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The head of Iraq's Supreme Hajj and Umrah Authority, Sheikh Sami al-Masudi, met on Friday with the commander of the Federal Police Forces, Lieutenant General Ahmed Hatim al-Assadi, in Samarra to coordinate security and logistics for pilgrims visiting the city. The meeting focused on arrangements for visitors arriving to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari. According to a statement from the authority, the two sides reviewed the details of a transport plan drawn up for the visit and the coordination mechanisms between the authority and the Federal Police. Al-Masudi stressed the need to facilitate the movement of the authority's buses along the route to the al-Islah al-Askari shrine, with flexible arrangements for entries and exits to prevent congestion during peak hours. Al-Masudi said a successful transport plan depends not only on service preparations but also on full coordination between security and service institutions. Both sides also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation maintained between the Federal Police and the authority during large-scale pilgrimages. No further details on the timeline or scale of the planned transport arrangements were immediately available.