Iraq forms new Saudi-border command after PMF withdrawal
Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna
Iraq has formed a new military command to secure desert areas in Al-Muthanna and Najaf provinces along the Saudi border following the withdrawal of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) units, a security source told Shafaq News on Saturday.
Led by Maj. Gen. Emad Al-Maliki, the Badia Operations Command comprises three brigades covering Al-Salman and Busayyah in Al-Muthanna and Al-Shabaka in neighboring Najaf, the source said, noting that troops will be backed by armed aircraft and reconnaissance flights and protect the road to the Al-Jamima border crossing, which remains under construction. Local security agencies will fall under the new structure.
The command has already taken over Al-Qarya Al-Asriya in Al-Salman following the PMF withdrawal.
Read more: Iraq under regional pressure as neighbors threaten to strike Iran-aligned factions
Al-Jamima is being developed as Iraq’s second major land link with Saudi Arabia, alongside the operational Arar crossing in western Al-Anbar province. Baghdad allocated 200 billion dinars ($152M) for the crossing, the Samawah–Jamima road, and related infrastructure.
The reorganization comes after Riyadh accused armed factions of launching drones from Iraq against the Kingdom in July. Joint US-Saudi strikes later hit PMF positions, killing at least 20 members and wounding 32, according to the PMF, a state-backed umbrella of predominantly Shiite armed factions. Baghdad condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and pledged to prevent attacks on neighboring countries from Iraqi territory.
Security contacts between Baghdad and Riyadh have since intensified, with officials from Iraq and Saudi Arabia meeting US Central Command representatives in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss armed factions and measures to prevent further cross-border attacks.
Read more: Wednesday's US-Saudi attack on Iraq: What Is Known
