Iraq security update: Arrests, attacks, and operations

Shafaq News

Below is a summary of the main security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on January 17, 2026.

- Cyber Extortion Suspect (Basra)

National Security Service arrested a man taking $4,000 from a victim. He impersonated a woman online, lured victims into fake relationships, and threatened them to pay money.

- Cybercrime Arrests Sweep (Nationwide)

Operations in Basra, Wasit, Kirkuk, and Baghdad led to the arrest of 9 suspects for cyber extortion.

- Armed Attack Killing (Basra)

A man in his thirties was shot dead in Basra city center. Four bullets struck him while he carried a bouquet of flowers. Motive remains unknown.

- Hit-and-Run Accident (Basra)

A pickup truck without plates ran over a woman in her sixties and her daughter in Al-Hussein district. Both sustained serious injuries, while the driver fled the scene.

- Child Trafficking Network (Babil)

Authorities dismantled a network trading children, including health sector employees, based on precise intelligence.

- Sorcery Suspect Arrest (Karbala)

Karbala Police arrested a man accused of practicing witchcraft and sorcery in the province.

- Military Base Control (Al-Anbar)

Iraqi Army assumed full control of Ain Al-Asad base after US forces departed.