Saudi Arabia Attacked From Iraq: Baghdad Fires Senior Security Commander
By Osama Ali
Key Takeaways:
- After officials concluded strikes on Saudi Arabia originated in Iraq’s Maysan province, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the Maysan operations chief and opened an inquiry, saying Iraq will not let its land or airspace be used against neighbors.
- Foreign ministers Fuad Hussein and Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke Friday about coordination. Baghdad pledged to identify those responsible and prosecute them.
- Riyadh says drones from Iraq hit the East-West Pipeline, causing injuries and damage and pausing flow in the Riyadh and Medina areas. Saudi Arabia says it held off retaliating to give Iraq time to act, while reserving the right to protect its territory.
(Albawaba) — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has fired a top security official and launched an investigation after officials established the strikes on Saudi Arabia had come from Iraqi territory.
The Iraqi News Agency said that Al-Zaidi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ordered the firing of the head of operations in the southern province of Maysan. He also instructed an investigation commission to look into the Maysan Operations Command.
The decision came after officials discovered assaults against Saudi Arabia were launched from a place inside Maysan province, government spokesman Sabah al-Numan said.
Baghdad investigations
Al-Zaidi ordered an immediate inquiry to identify the perpetrators and to pursue legal action against anyone found to be involved.
The prime minister said Iraq will not accept any actions that jeopardize the security of Iraq or its relationships with its neighboring countries, and will not allow its territory and air space to be used to launch attacks against other countries.
Also on Friday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke by phone with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, with both parties underlining continuing coordination and measures to maintain regional security.
Saudi pipeline hit by drone strike
Iraq’s move comes after a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which Riyadh claims was carried out by numerous drones from Iraq.
The incident caused injuries and damage, leading Saudi officials to stop pipeline activity in the Riyadh and Medina districts as technical and emergency teams evaluated the system.
Baghdad had asked for time to investigate and stop further assaults from Iraqi territory, Saudi Arabia claimed, and it decided not to retaliate at this stage.
But Riyadh reiterated it reserves the right to take any steps required to protect its sovereignty, infrastructure and population.
The Iraqi government denounced the bombings and praised the Saudi decision to give Baghdad an opportunity to calm the situation and take action against those involved.
