Babylon: The Central Anti-Narcotics Department in Babylon successfully arrested a dangerous drug dealer in the al-Askhari District of central Hillah.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the arrest followed an intense operation where the suspect was tracked and surrounded at his residence. The situation escalated into a shootout that persisted for more than three hours. In an attempt to evade capture, the dealer moved across the rooftops of neighboring homes and took several residents hostage.

The security source detailed that the gunman initiated negotiations with the security forces, which led to additional support being called in from SWAT and tactical units. After a coordinated effort, the suspect was apprehended. Authorities found a cache of weapons, grenades, explosives, and a significant amount of compressed narcotics in his possession. Further investigations revealed that the suspect was wanted for murder and theft in both Baghdad and Basra. He had been utilizing multiple forged IDs and different license plates to avoid detection at checkpoints.