Iraqi government commission makes first field visit to Jurf al-Sakhr

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi government commission established by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi will travel to Jurf al-Sakhr on Tuesday for its first field visit to reopen the area's administrative file, officials said. The body, made up of representatives from the Agriculture, Justice and Interior ministries along with the Popular Mobilization Forces, will examine agricultural structures on the ground and review land records, including so-called "Contract No. 17" holdings tied to the Agriculture Ministry. The district, formally known as Jurf al-Nasr in northern Babil province, sits on a strategic corridor linking Iraq's western and southern regions to the country's central belt. Political sources said the commission's initial work is focused on administrative and legal processes and does not, for now, envision any announced change to the security map or the distribution of forces in the area. Roughly twelve years after the district was retaken from ISIS, thousands of residents remain unable to return home. Political and parliamentary estimates put the number of displaced people from the district and surrounding areas above 100,000, underscoring the scale of unresolved displacement tied to the status of Jurf al-Sakhr. No further details on the commission's agenda were immediately available.