ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government early Saturday confirmed that the latest drone attack on neighboring Saudi Arabia was launched from Iraq's Maysan province, with the prime minister dismissing the head of the province's operations command.
Iraq has previously denied Saudi claims that attacks on the kingdom's energy infrastructure originated from Iraqi territory, making Saturday's confirmation a rare acknowledgment by Baghdad that its territory was used as a launchpad for an attack on a neighboring country.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has "directed the formation of an investigative board concerning the Maysan Operations Command," his military spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in an overnight statement.
Zaidi also "ordered that the Operations Commander be relieved of his position, following confirmation that the attacks targeting our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were launched from a location within the province," the statement added.
The announcement came shortly after Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq had struck its East-West oil pipeline, causing casualties and damage. Baghdad condemned the attack and announced an urgent investigation to identify those responsible.
Riyadh said it had decided against retaliating for now after Zaidi asked the kingdom to give Baghdad an opportunity to take measures to prevent further attacks launched from Iraqi territory.
“The Kingdom has opted not to respond at this stage, and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” the Saudi foreign ministry said.
The exchange came as Iraqi security forces announced the seizure of dozens of drones and projectiles in the western province of Anbar amid a broader government push to bring weapons under state control.
The interior ministry said Friday that police discovered an abandoned site in Anbar's Area 35 district containing 47 drones and 46 projectiles designed for use with the aircraft, as well as remote controllers, batteries and other equipment.
Reuters reported that Iraq had closed the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran as a precaution following the attack, as Baghdad pursued those responsible.
Iraq has repeatedly sought to prevent its territory from being drawn into regional confrontations involving Iran-aligned armed factions.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iran-aligned factions with links to elements of the state-sponsored Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), sided with Tehran during its six-week war with the United States and Israel from late February to mid-April.
During the conflict, the group claimed hundreds of attacks on US forces in Iraq and targets elsewhere in the region, putting pressure on Baghdad's declared neutrality.
The group has also been accused of previous attacks against Saudi Arabia that prompted retaliatory strikes on PMF positions.
_upscayl_4x_upscayl-lite-4x.png&w=3840&q=75)