The Central Criminal Court in Iraq sentenced eight individuals to death today, Sunday, for transporting suicide bombers who detonated themselves in Baghdad.
According to a statement by the Supreme Judicial Council, reported by the Iraqi News Agency, “the criminals confessed to transporting two suicide bombers who detonated themselves in the Bab al-Sharqi area and al-Wathba Square in 2015, resulting in the deaths and injuries of numerous citizens.”
In May of this year, Iraqi authorities executed eight individuals convicted of “terrorism” and affiliation with ISIS, according to security sources on Friday.
A security source, who requested anonymity, stated: “The execution of eight convicted terrorists took place on Thursday at the Hout Prison in the city of Nasiriyah in the southern Dhi Qar province.”
The threat from ISIS in Iraq was largely contained but still posed significant security challenges. Although ISIS was territorially defeated in Iraq by the end of 2017, the group continued to exploit security gaps, particularly between the federal Iraqi authorities and the Kurdistan Regional Government. These gaps allowed ISIS to conduct sporadic attacks, primarily targeting Shia communities. In response, Iraqi security forces, with coalition support, have remained vigilant and conducted operations to counter these threats.
For instance, in early 2024, Iraqi security operations captured a money exchange in Kirkuk allegedly involved in funding ISIS activities. This operation followed several small-scale but lethal attacks by suspected ISIS militants in the provinces of Diyala, Salahuddin, Nineveh, and Kirkuk throughout 2023. Despite these ongoing threats, U.S. and Iraqi officials have suggested that the overall capability of ISIS has significantly diminished due to continuous counter-terrorism efforts.
Moreover, the ongoing dialogue between Iraq and the U.S. regarding the status of U.S. forces reflects a broader strategic recalibration. The Iraqi government, under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has called for a reduction of U.S. military presence, arguing that Iraqi forces are now better equipped to handle internal security challenges independently. This has led to discussions about transitioning some of the coalition’s tasks, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, to NATO missions, although this transition faces its own set of challenges and geopolitical sensitivities.
The situation is compounded by internal political dynamics and external pressures, including interference by external-backed armed groups, which have occasionally inflamed sectarian tensions and hindered a unified national response to security threats. These dynamics underscore the complex security landscape in Iraq where political, ethnic, and sectarian divides continue to influence the country’s stability and security strategy.
