Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces will soon enter Jurf Al-Sakhr (Jurf Al-Nasr) in northern Babil province following Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s approval, government spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi said in a televised interview on Sunday, without specifying a date.

Al-Aboudi described the issue as an internal Iraqi matter and denied Iranian involvement through mediation or other contacts. He said the government was preparing conditions for displaced residents to return to the area.

Earlier on Sunday, government and political sources told Shafaq News that Al-Zaidi planned to deploy Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) forces to take full security and military control of Jurf Al-Sakhr if efforts to negotiate armed factions’ withdrawal failed.

Security sources subsequently said forces had surrounded the area from several directions, including the Al-Anbar and Musayyib approaches, with a withdrawal deadline set for 8 p.m. on Friday, November 20.

Read more: Why Jurf al-Sakhr remains beyond Baghdad's full control