ERBIL () - Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh al-Zaidi on Saturday ordered the dismissal of Maysan province's police chief and referred the heads of security agencies in the province for investigation following a series of security breaches.
Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief, announced the decisions on Sept. 12, saying the prime minister had also ordered Maysan's security agency chiefs transferred to the Reserve Forces Command.
The officials will face investigations over recent security incidents in the southern Iraqi province, al-Numan said.
The measures represent a further escalation in Baghdad's response after authorities confirmed that drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia originated from Iraqi territory.
Earlier Saturday, Zaidi dismissed the commander of Maysan Operations and ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the command after Iraqi authorities said the strikes against Saudi Arabia had been launched from a location inside Maysan.
The latest decision extends that accountability process across the province's wider security establishment.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said Friday that drones launched from Iraqi territory had struck the kingdom's East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
Saudi authorities said the attacks caused injuries and material damage.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said operations on the pipeline were temporarily suspended as a precaution while emergency and technical teams assessed the damage.
Riyadh said it had agreed, at Zaidi's request, not to launch an immediate military response, giving the Iraqi government time to investigate the attacks and take measures to prevent further strikes originating from its territory.
Saudi Arabia nevertheless said it retained the right to take whatever measures were necessary to protect its territory, citizens and critical infrastructure.
The Iraqi government condemned the attacks shortly after the Saudi announcement.
Al-Numan said Friday that the prime minister had ordered an urgent investigation to identify those responsible and ensure legal action against anyone found to have participated.
He also reiterated Baghdad's position that Iraqi territory and airspace must not be used as a base for attacks against neighboring countries.
The dismissal of both the Maysan Operations Commander and provincial police chief within hours underscores the seriousness with which Baghdad is treating the security failures surrounding the attacks.
The transfer and investigation of other provincial security chiefs indicate that the inquiry is extending beyond individual commanders to examine the functioning of Maysan's broader security structure.
Iraq's parliament speaker, Haibet al-Halbousi, also condemned the Saudi pipeline attacks Saturday and backed the government's investigation.
He said the use of Iraqi territory or airspace to threaten Saudi Arabia or any other neighboring country was unacceptable and called for weapons to remain exclusively under the authority of the state and its constitutional institutions.
The government has not yet announced the results of its investigation or publicly identified those responsible for launching the drones.
For now, Baghdad's response has focused on removing senior security officials, widening the investigation and reassuring Saudi Arabia that Iraqi territory will not be allowed to serve as a launch point for further cross-border attacks.
