Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday dismissed the police chief of southeastern Maysan province and ordered investigations into senior provincial security officials following drone attacks on a major Saudi Arabian oil pipeline.
Military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said al-Zaidi, acting in his capacity as commander-in-chief of Iraq’s armed forces, had “ordered the dismissal of the Maysan provincial police chief.”
The prime minister also directed that the heads of security agencies in the province be removed from their positions and referred for investigation.
Al-Numan said the measures were ordered “in light of the recent security breaches that occurred in the province,” without providing further details.
The action followed an earlier decision by al-Zaidi to establish an investigative committee to examine the conduct of the Maysan Operations Command and dismiss its commander.
In an earlier statement, al-Numan said authorities had established that attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from a location within Maysan province.
Iraqi authorities have not yet announced the findings of their investigation or identified those responsible for the attacks or any groups with which they may be affiliated.
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that several drones launched from Iraqi territory had struck its East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, causing injuries and material damage.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Riyadh had decided not to retaliate “at this stage” after the Iraqi prime minister requested an opportunity for Baghdad to take measures to prevent its territory from being used to launch further attacks against Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries.