Iraq authorities don talk say their security forces don locate and seize one drone-launching platform wey dem allege say dem use for attack wey struck Saudi Arabia East-West oil pipeline.
Inside statement wey state-run Iraqi News Agency, INA, publish on Saturday, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, talk say intelligence and security task force track down and seize the launch equipment.
He also talk say forensic and technical experts still dey work to identify those behind the attack. Iraq commander-in-chief don approve one Iranian request to join the investigation and review its findings, Maan talk.
Baghdad dey maintain direct communication with Saudi authorities to share intelligence, Maan talk. He talk say Iraq adopts principle of ‘preventive sovereignty’. That one mean not only preventing attacks on our territory, but also not allowing our land to be launching pad against any other country, or for Iraq to be part of proxy war, na so INA quote am.
Several people injure after several drones wey launch from Iraq strike the East-West pipeline for Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday, Saudi authorities talk. The pipeline, wey dey carry about 4 to 5 percent of global oil supply and allow Saudi Arabia to bypass Strait of Hormuz, shut down as precaution. The kingdom also talk say e decide against retaliating for now, following request from Baghdad.
Saudi authorities trace the launch site to Maysan province for southeastern Iraq, one region near Iranian border where Iran-aligned militias don maintain presence for long time.
Al Jazeera Mohammed Rammal report say Iraqi authorities point to al-Tayeb border district for northeastern Maysan province near Sheeb crossing, east of Amara, and e cover both Duwayrij River and Tayeb Island as likely launch site.
Rammal talk say with targeted areas covering roughly 1,100 kilometres, or 684 miles, from Medina and 800km, or 497 miles, from Riyadh, the attack likely involve ‘not tactical drones, but long-range, advanced ones’.
Iraqi army spokesman Sabah al-Numan talk earlier on Saturday say security and intelligence agencies dey pursue operations to arrest all those involved.
Following the strike, Iraqi authorities temporarily close several border crossings with Iran, including Shalamcheh, Chazabeh and Mandali, for security inspections before dem partially reopen them for humanitarian traffic.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reshuffle military commanders for border regions, including Maysan province, in the wake of the attack. Al Jazeera correspondent Samer al-Kubaisi name the Maysan operations commander and the provincial police chief as among those dismissed, with group of security commanders in the province now under investigation over the attacks.
Political analyst Salim Zakhour tell Al Jazeera say Saudi Arabia ‘did not go toward direct escalation on the ground’, but instead seek ‘political containment through the Iraqi government’. He talk say developments of past few days ‘extremely complex for Saudi Arabia’, pointing to Houthis’ advance towards Bab al-Mandeb alongside the East-West oil pipeline strike. This leave Riyadh for major defensive position, requiring ‘real, practical steps to deter these attempts’, Zakhour add.
