Iraq’s Prime Minister: storming the Green Zone by armed groups is a “violation" of the constitution

Shafaq News / The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, said on Wednesday, storming the Green Zone by armed groups is a "serious violation" of the Iraqi constitution.

Al-Kadhimi said in a statement "a competent Iraqi security force, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, put into effect an arrest warrant against one of the accused this morning in accordance with Article 4 terrorism and based on complaints against him."

"An investigative committee has been formed from the Joint Operations Command, Minister of Interior Intelligence, Military Intelligence, National Security and Popular Mobilization forces Security, to investigate the accusations against him as he is now in the custody of the Joint Operations Command until the end of the investigation." He added.

The Prime Minister pointed out that "the armed shows that occurred by armed groups are a serious violation of the Iraqi constitution and the laws, and we have directed an immediate investigation into these movements according to the law."

Al-Kadhimi stressed that "protecting the security of the homeland and not exposing the security of our people to adventures at this historical stage is a responsibility placed on the shoulders of the government, security and military forces, and political parties," calling everyone to give priority to the interest of the homeland.

At dawn today, a special security force arrested Musleh in the Dora area, south of Baghdad, on charges related to corruption and terrorism; a security source told Shafaq News Agency.

As a result, military vehicles of the Popular Mobilization Forces stormed the heavily-fortified Green Zone in the capital Baghdad.

A source told Shafaq News Agency that four brigades from the PMF, in addition to a security force affiliated with it, encircled sites inside the Green Zone, including the residences of PM al-Kadhimi, Major-General Abu Ragheef, and the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

Later this evening, PMF began to gradually pull its members out of the heavily fortified Green Zone in the center of Baghdad.