Iraq sacks nine officials over oil smuggling in pro-Iran group's bastion

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed nine officials on Saturday, following an investigation into allegations of oil smuggling in the Jurf al-Sakher area, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group. "In light of the investigation's findings," Zaidi "ordered that all individuals accused of involvement in oil smuggling operations be referred to the judiciary," his military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said, without identifying the suspects. The premier "also ordered the dismissal" of nine officials, including security and intelligence officers in Babylon province, an interior ministry commander, and the director of the Oil Pipelines Company at the oil ministry. Numan did not elaborate on the role of the sacked officials in the alleged smuggling operations. A committee investigating the allegations entered Jurf al-Sakher on Friday, accompanied by members of Kataeb Hezbollah. On Wednesday, the state news agency INA reported that "intelligence documents" containing satellite images "showed crude oil and oil-derivatives smuggling operations carried out by an armed faction" in Jurf al-Sakher, accusing the unnamed faction of tapping into a pipeline there. According to Numan, the investigating committee "confirmed the accuracy" of the information. Report by AFP