SPC urges official action over Kataib Hezbollah threats to intelligence officers
Shafaq News- Baghdad
The recent threats by Kataib Hezbollah Iraq against Sunni and Kurdish officers and personnel of the Iraqi Intelligence service are “the clearest form of terrorism against the state and its institutions,” The Sunni Political Council (SPC) said on Monday, considering it “confirmation of a dangerous approach” aimed at undermining the structure of official security agencies.
In a statement, the Council called on the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the relevant courts “to take a firm stance against these rogue armed groups”, and to take legal action against the perpetrators of “these crimes” under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Law, “without selectivity or discrimination.” It also urged the Prime Minister to implement “effective and urgent measures against these rogue armed groups, which have become a direct threat to security and a danger to public order and civil peace.”
The Iraqi Intelligence Service announced on March 21 that the perimeter of its headquarters came under a “terrorist” attack carried out by outlawed groups, resulting in the death of one of its officers.
SPC, which unites Sunni political forces participating in the government and parliament, accused the Kataib of targeting security institutions, diplomatic offices, and official headquarters in Baghdad, the western and central provinces, and the Kurdistan Region.
It also expressed deep concern and astonishment at “the continued absence of Sunni representation in the management of security institutions over several years,” which, according to the statement, has resulted in the total exclusion of the community from the most recent high-level military and security meetings of the Iraqi state.
The Council emphasized that this absence cannot be justified or downplayed in terms of its severity, as it excludes key partners from the political process and “violates the principle of national partnership enshrined in the constitution.”
Earlier, Iraq’s Presidency condemned on Sunday an attack targeted at the Iraqi Intelligence Service that led to the killing of an officer, stressing the need to protect the country’s vital institutions.
