Iraqi forces arrest 9 suspects in separate operations in Dhi Qar, Wasit and Nineveh

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi security forces detained nine suspects, including foreign nationals, in three separate operations in the southern province of Dhi Qar, central Wasit and northern Nineveh, according to local security statements. In Dhi Qar, police arrested five people accused of attacking a municipal employee during an operation to clear road and sidewalk encroachments in the Refai district, the Dhi Qar Police Directorate said. The statement did not detail the injuries sustained. In Nineveh, a security source said a man was detained in the western Mosul area for unlicensed weapons trading. Three pump-action shotguns were seized from the suspect, the source added. Separately, the Iraqi Border Forces Command said three Asian nationals were intercepted at the Shihabi border post in Wasit while attempting to cross into Iraq illegally. The three provinces are conducting simultaneous investigations into assault, illegal weapons trafficking and unlawful border crossing charges, the statements said. No further details on the suspects or the next steps in the cases were immediately available.