ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities uncovered a drone assembly shop in Baghdad and arrested several suspects, the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) said Tuesday, as the government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi continues to make headway in its drive to restrict the weapons of Iraqi armed groups and consolidate the country's "security decision" in the hands of the state.
INSS units "foiled an attempt to manufacture drones" in Baghdad, "arresting three involved suspects," the Service said in a statement, adding that the operation resulted in "the seizure of 25 drone frames, along with equipment and tools used in assembly and production" of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Investigations also led to the discovery of "a workshop containing carbon fiber sheets and manufactured parts, along with technical supplies used in the production stages," INSS added, noting that its units "thwarted" the assembly attempt "before its completion," while “investigations continue to determine any potential links between this activity and plans threatening national security.”
The development coincides with the Zaidi government's ongoing efforts to restrict the weapons of Iraqi armed groups - including those aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ - under state control.
The United States and Israel in late February launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran, carrying out thousands of strikes across the country.
Tehran responded with thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in the region - particularly in Gulf Arab states - while also carrying out retaliatory attacks against Israel.
Iran's response has also involved Iraqi armed groups aligned with the ‘Axis of Resistance,’ which carried out attacks in support of Tehran under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI).
In early April, the IRI claimed to have carried out more than 750 attacks on alleged US targets across Iraq and the wider region since the start of the Iran war.
During a landmark visit to Washington last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi reaffirmed his government's commitment to bringing proliferated arms under state control.
A senior Iraqi official who accompanied the premier on his US trip told Rudaw on Wednesday that the issue was "central" to Zaidi's discussions with US officials. Iraqi government spokesperson Sabah al-Numan further underlined the premier's "commitment and determination" to conclude the file by a set deadline, September 30, which he described as "fixed and irreversible."
Iraq's "security decision, and the decision of war and peace, lie in the hands of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces [the prime minister]," Numan noted, adding that he expects Iraqi armed groups to comply with the push to address arms proliferation, in response to "the rule of law, the will of the people, and the principle of preserving Iraq's dignity and sovereignty."
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