Iraqi government committee makes first field visit to Jurf Nasr area in years

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A government committee appointed by Prime Minister and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Ali Zaidi conducted its first field tour in years of the Jurf Nasr area in northern Babil, visiting the villages of al-Saida, Fadhiliya, Jir and Awaissat. The delegation included representatives of the Interior, Agriculture and Justice ministries, the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi), the Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Directorate, and Babil provincial officials. The committee reviewed security, agricultural and public-service conditions and heard requests from local residents. Officials noted that the return of families who had left the area remained under discussion, and that the resolution of terrorism-related suspicions against certain individuals was tied to judicial decisions. Farmers asked for the renewal of expired agricultural land lease contracts. The area, which lies along a strategic route linking Baghdad, Babil, Karbala and Anbar, has remained a contested security file since it was retaken from ISIS in 2014. The committee is expected to continue its work in the coming days, with a final report to be submitted to Zaidi within ten days.