Iraq outlines fortified prison security measures amid attacks near security facilities

2026-03-17 - 08:34

Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq is stepping up measures to protect prisons and detention facilities following the transfer of thousands of detainees from Syria and a recent attack near a key security site. According to a statement on Tuesday, the Supreme Judicial Council convened a high-level meeting chaired by Judge Faiq Zidan, bringing together Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari, Justice Minister Khaled Shwani, and National Security Adviser Qassim al-Araji, alongside senior judicial officials. During the meeting, the interior and justice ministers outlined detailed measures and fortifications to protect prisons, describing them as sufficient to prevent any potential breach. Officials also urged media outlets to ensure accurate reporting on detainees transferred from Syria, cautioning against “analysis that does not reflect reality.” The review follows a recent rocket attack targeting a logistics support center at Baghdad International Airport that wounded four Iraqi security personnel. Al-Araji had warned that repeated drone and rocket incidents near the airport pose a direct threat to Al-Karkh Central Prison, which holds terrorism suspects, including ISIS members. Iraq has received around 6,000 detainees transferred from prisons in Syria in a US-supervised operation completed on February 12, after security tensions affected facilities run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).