Iraq cracks Baath cell hid behind civilian cover in Baghdad

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) announced Thursday it had dismantled an organized cell linked to the banned Baath Party operating in western Baghdad, following a months-long intelligence operation.

The agency's spokesman said in a statement that the operation exposed the cell's organizational structure, which began its activity under civilian cover before shifting to a military character. Security forces seized photographs of security personnel and sensitive locations from the cell's members, and detected attempts to recruit new members. Eight people have been arrested so far.

The agency also sent warning text messages to individuals who had been lured into the so-called "Iraqi National Assembly for Change and Liberation" -a front linked to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party- urging them to withdraw. Many of those contacted responded by shutting down platforms that had been used for recruitment and promotion.