Shafaq News- Baghdad

Around 50,000 tank shells were destroyed at Taji military base north of Baghdad by unidentified parties during the Arbaeen pilgrimage, Iraqi lawmaker Jawad Rahim al-Saadi said on Wednesday, warning that the loss could affect the combat readiness of Iraq’s tank fleet.

Al-Saadi, a member of Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, described the destruction of such a large quantity of ammunition as a serious matter, particularly if tanks are left without sufficient ammunition.

The parliamentary committee has called for an investigation to determine who destroyed the shells and why, according to al-Saadi.

Earlier this month, ammunition exploded inside weapons warehouses at Camp Taji after a fire broke out at the base. Security Media Cell chief Lt. Gen. Saad Maan attributed the Aug. 2 incident to high temperatures.

Taji is a major ammunition hub; the US-led Coalition transferred an ammunition supply point containing nearly 50 storage bunkers to Iraqi authorities in 2020.