Iraq’s Justice Ministry Concerned Over Repeated Attacks Near Prison Housing ISIS Detainees

Iraq's Justice Ministry's Media Office

Iraq's Justice Ministry logo.

Iraq's Ministry of Justice has expressed concern over repeated attacks targeting areas near the prison located near Baghdad International Airport, which houses the Islamic State (ISIS) detainees.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the ministry said the area surrounding the Al-Karkh Central Prison, also known as the airport prison for being near the Baghdad International Airport, had been subjected to several attacks in recent days, though it stressed that security measures in place to protect the facility remain reassuring.

Ministry spokesman Ahmed Laibi said in a press statement that areas around Baghdad International Airport and the airport prison had faced repeated strikes, some of which occurred very close to the facility.

He added that the most severe attacks took place on Saturday, with six strikes recorded so far, several of them landing near the prison.

Laibi warned that the proximity of the attacks raises concerns about the possible impact on the prison’s security, noting that the facility holds highly dangerous terrorist inmates.

He also said that the ministry reassures the public that the measures taken by its personnel and the country’s security forces to protect the prison remain strong.

However, he said the fall of projectiles near the prison remains worrying, particularly regarding the potential impact on security plans, precautionary measures, and the prison’s infrastructure.

Since the start of the Middle East conflict, Iran‑backed militia groups in Iraq have claimed responsibility for daily drone and missile attacks on U.S. military bases and diplomatic facilities, including sites near Baghdad International Airport. 

In February, the United States completed the transfer of 5,700 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq.

ISIS, which swept across both Syria and Iraq in 2014, was responsible for widespread massacres and destruction. Backed by U.S.-led forces, Iraq declared the defeat of ISIS in 2017, while Kurdish-led forces in Syria ultimately pushed the group back in 2019.



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