Iraqi lawmaker seeks probe into Kuwaiti border incursions

Shafaq News/ An Iraqi lawmaker from Basra province, Adi Awad, on Tuesday petitioned the parliament to establish a fact-finding committee regarding alleged Kuwaiti incursions into Iraqi territory.

Awad, an engineer, secured the signatures of 50 lawmakers in support of his proposal. He implored the government to adopt a "firm stance" to counter the incursions and "safeguard Iraq's natural resources." 

"These incursions constitute a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and cannot be countenanced," Awad said in a statement. "The government has an obligation to take decisive measures to protect our borders and national wealth."

Awad's petition follows recent claims that Kuwait drilled an oil well in a contested border zone. The Iraqi government has reportedly lodged a formal protest with Kuwait over the incident.

Iraq and Kuwait have a long history of border disputes, stemming back to the 1990 Gulf War. Both nations have engaged in discussions in recent years to resolve the issue, but progress has been elusive. The land border between the two was demarcated by the United Nations in 1993 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, but it did not cover the length of their maritime boundaries, and this was left for the two oil producers to resolve.