Iraqi special forces raided Baghdad's Green Zone early Sunday morning, arresting high-profile officials as part of an anti-corruption operation, according to Iraqi media reports. The sweep follows the deployment of tanks and artillery at the zone's gates earlier Sunday, and a full military closure of the area that began overnight.
Iraqi special forces raided Baghdad's Green Zone early Sunday, arresting senior political and government officials in a major anti-corruption operation, according to Iraqi media. The sweep follows a full military closure of the area that began overnight, with tanks and artillery deployed at the zone's gates by order of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. By 04:56 Jerusalem, Al-Arabiya reported the detainees included sitting politicians and government officials, confirming the scale of the operation beyond what initial reports indicated.
The desk has tracked this operation since its earliest stages. At 02:57 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the PM ordered tanks and artillery to the Green Zone gates, without explanation. By 03:21 Jerusalem, the military had taken full control of the zone, and gunfire was reported nearby — though no details on casualties or sources were available. Later that hour, reports confirmed the overnight arrests included high-profile figures, and by 04:56 Jerusalem, three successive bulletins had established a pattern: a security closure, a deployment of heavy armor, then arrests of senior officials. The current dispatch now confirms special forces conducted the actual detention raids, marking a direct escalation inside the perimeter.
As The Zioneer reported on Jun 10–11, the US Embassy in Baghdad had warned American citizens to leave Iraq immediately, citing possible travel disruptions and airspace closures, while analysts predicted a multi-day campaign. That warning now appears to have preceded this anti-corruption sweep, though the PM's operation is domestically framed, not tied to US-Iran tensions.
The full list of detainees and specific charges remain undisclosed. The heavy military posture — including armored vehicles — appears designed to deter interference by powerful militia factions in and around Baghdad, whose reactions remain unverified.
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