BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces moved in the early hours of Sunday morning to arrest politicians, lawmakers, and high-ranking government officials as part of what security and legal sources are calling the opening phase of a major anti-corruption campaign directed by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Elite units from the Counter Terrorism Service conducted raids on homes located inside Baghdad’s heavily secured Green Zone, detaining multiple individuals, according to sources who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to discuss sensitive matters with the press.
As of Sunday, no official statement had been released regarding the arrests.
Al-Zaidi, who assumed the role of prime minister in May, has made a public commitment to confronting deep-rooted corruption — one of the most enduring problems facing Iraq’s government, despite pledges from numerous administrations over the years to hold wrongdoers accountable.
Sunday’s raids were carried out under direct orders from al-Zaidi after Iraqi judicial authorities issued arrest warrants targeting what sources described as suspected corruption networks operating within the government.
The operation follows a series of recent arrests of senior officials, including a deputy oil minister who was taken into custody on corruption-related charges. According to three sources, those earlier arrests led to the issuance of new warrants that were then executed on Sunday.
The Green Zone, where Sunday’s raids took place, serves as home to parliament, foreign embassies, and the prime minister’s office, and is where many senior Iraqi officials, lawmakers, and political figures maintain residences or workplaces.
A senior source cited by the state news agency INA said that some of Sunday’s arrests stemmed from testimony given by Adnan al-Jumaili, the deputy oil minister for refining affairs, following his detention on corruption charges. According to INA, al-Jumaili’s statements pointed to a broader network of officials allegedly involved in corrupt activities.
Some individuals managed to escape before security forces arrived, prompting authorities to seal off entrances to the Green Zone and expand their search. The three sources indicated that the anti-corruption campaign is expected to press forward over the coming days.
