Security brief in Iraq: Forced evacuation, mass arrests, and major crime cases

Shafaq News

Below is a summary of key security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

- Court-Ordered Evacuation (Baghdad)

Iraqi security forces “forcibly” evacuated a large compound belonging to Saraya al-Jihad wal-Binaa in southern Baghdad after the group failed to comply with a court order to vacate the site, a security source said.

- Residency Violations (Baghdad)

Security forces arrested 185 Arab and foreign nationals in Baghdad for violating residency regulations.

- Border Violations (Al-Sulaymaniyah)

Authorities detained 12 Asian nationals who attempted to cross the border illegally in Al-Sulaymaniyah.

- Domestic Violence Intervention (Al-Diwaniyah)

Community police in Al-Diwaniyah intervened to end an assault against a young woman by her brother following a formal complaint filed with the department.

- Smuggling Arrest (Baghdad):

Authorities seized a vehicle traveling from Duhok to Baghdad carrying 290 cartons of smuggled foreign cigarettes concealed through modification.

- Drug Smuggling Foiled (Shalamcheh Border)

Border authorities at the Shalamcheh crossing arrested an Iraqi traveler carrying narcotics, including crystal meth and marijuana, concealed inside her footwear in an attempt to smuggle them into Iraq.

- Multiple Arrests and Seizures (Baghdad)

Baghdad Operations Command arrested several suspects across Al-Karkh and Al-Rusafa, seizing unauthorized documents, 107 MasterCard cards, unlicensed weapons, and impounding violating vehicles and motorcycles.

- Murder–Suicide (Baghdad)

A man killed his son, born in 2001, inside their home in the Radwaniyah area before later taking his own life.

- Assault on Teacher (Diyala)

A schoolteacher reported being assaulted and severely beaten by a student and the student’s relatives west of Baqubah. The teacher sustained head injuries and wounds to various parts of his body and was transferred to hospital for treatment.

- Detainee Freed (Baghdad)

The Iraqi Intelligence Service secured the release of an Iraqi citizen from Baghdad who had been detained in Syria for several months following multiple accusations.

- Fire Contained (Baghdad)

Iraqi Civil Defense teams rescued five people and extinguished a fire that broke out in a commercial building on Al-Rashid Street.