31-07-2025
Security sweep: Iraq reports drug busts, killings, and unrest in one day
Shafaq News
Below is a summary of key security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on July 31, 2025.
• Cross-Border Drug Network Dismantled (Basra):
Iraq's National Security Service in Basra dismantled a transnational drug trafficking ring involving 11 individuals. Large quantities of narcotics were seized during the coordinated operation.
• High-Profile Drug Trafficker Attempts Suicide in Detention (Najaf):
A detainee wanted under Iraq's anti-narcotics law (Article 27 of Law 50/2017) attempted suicide using a shard of broken glass. He was transferred in critical condition to Al-Sadr Hospital in Najaf.
• Soldier's Body Found (Saladin):
Security forces in Tuz Khurmatu arrested a suspect accused of killing an Iraqi soldier whose body was found after he went missing several days earlier. The victim was from Baghdad. Preliminary findings indicate the motive was not related to terrorism.
• Young Man Shot and Buried (Al-Diwaniyah):
A man's body was discovered in the Al-Shinafiyah desert, four days after he was reported missing. The suspect confessed to killing him over a financial dispute. Legal proceedings are underway.
• Civil Unrest & Local Instability (Maysan):
-A tribal clash erupted in Al-Kahla, requiring intervention by security forces.
-A men's clothing shop in Hay al-Shuhada was riddled with bullets and set on fire.
-A house fire in Hay al-Shurta was brought under control by civil defense teams. No casualties were reported in either fire.
• Witchcraft Suspects Arrested (Al-Anbar):
Eight people were arrested for practicing witchcraft and sorcery during a coordinated campaign involving Al-Anbar police and the judiciary.
• Child Drowns in Tigris River (Nineveh):
A 12-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the Rashidiya area north of Mosul. River police recovered his body hours later.
• AIDS-Related Death (Kirkuk:)
A 52-year-old woman died in a Kirkuk medical facility after being admitted with advanced-stage AIDS. Authorities confirmed that all infection control protocols were followed and no risk was posed to medical staff or other patients.
• Retired Army Colonel Killed in Traffic Accident (Diyala):
A retired Iraqi army colonel was killed after being struck by a speeding motorcycle in the 7 Nissan area of Baqubah. The motorcyclist sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital. Police transferred the colonel's body to the forensic medicine department.
