Shafaq News

Below is a summary of key security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on October 8, 2025.

- Kidnapped Farmer Released (Kirkuk)

A man kidnapped last month in northern Kirkuk’s Altun Kupri district was released under unclear circumstances. A security source said another man abducted with him had earlier escaped despite sustaining injuries. The two Kurdish farmers were seized in September by armed assailants in military uniforms.

- Authorities Arrest Senior Baath Figures (Dhi Qar)

Iraqi security forces detained several senior members of the banned Baath Party in Dhi Qar’s Al-Nasiriyah city during what officials described as the largest operation in years. The National Commission for Accountability and Justice said PMF intelligence and local police targeted suspects accused of trying to revive Baath activities.

- Security Forces Arrest 10 ISIS Members (Multiple Provinces)

The Military Intelligence Directorate arrested 10 ISIS militants, including two women, in multiple operations across Iraq.

- Police Disband Criminal Groups (Baghdad)

In Baghdad, security forces dismantled two criminal gangs involved in theft, fraud, and extortion, in addition to busted several suspects for various offenses and seizing unlicensed weapons across the capital.

- Drug Dealer apprehended (Baghdad)

Federal Police in coordination with anti-narcotics units busted a drug dealer in Al-Tay area with nearly 3,000 pills in his possession.

- Court Acquits Former MP Mohammed Al-Daini (Baghdad)

Iraq’s Federal Cassation Court overturned the prison sentence of former lawmaker Mohammed Al-Daini, ruling there was insufficient evidence to convict him of “insulting the Iraqi people.” The court ordered his release, reversing a previous ruling issued in August that accused him of offending the Shiite community and unlawfully seizing private property.

- Massive Fire Erupts at Oil Plant (Al-Sulaymaniyah)

A large fire broke out at a motor oil production plant in Tangro, Al-Sulaymaniyah, according to Civil Defense spokesperson Aram Ali. The cause of the fire remains unknown, while cooling operations continue to prevent re-ignition.

- First Suicide Linked to Al-Qurban Sect (Kirkuk)

A young man from southern Kirkuk took his own life after joining the outlawed “Al-Qurban” (Sacrifice) group, marking the first suicide tied to the extremist movement in the province. A source told Shafaq News the man was recruited through social media channels connected to the group.

- Pakistani man Commits Suicide (Baghdad)

A Pakistani national working in the campaign office of a parliamentary candidate in Baghdad’s Zayouna district hanged himself. Security forces transferred the body to the forensic department and opened an investigation into the circumstances.

- Police stop Fugitive (Baghdad)

Authorities arrested a fugitive convicted of drug use, forgery, and theft who had escaped from Badoush prison.

- Civil Defense Officer Dies in Explosion (Dhi Qar)

A civil defense officer died when a cluster munition exploded during clearance operations in a desert area south of Al-Nasiriyah. The team was removing unexploded ordnance near an oil exploration site.

- Child Injured in Billboard Accident (Nineveh)

A nine-year-old girl suffered severe head injuries in Mosul after striking an electronic campaign billboard placed too close to the road. Police launched an investigation, to identify who installed the billboard without adhering to the legally required safety distance.

- Fuel Station Director nabbed for Embezzlement (Nineveh)

The Federal Integrity Commission arrested the director of Al-Shamal fuel station in Sinjar for embezzling over 300 million dinars from oil product sales revenues.