Dhi qar: One security officer was injured and nine suspects were arrested following a security clash in Al-Gharraf district in Dhi Qar province, the Interior Ministry said in a statement, received by The Iraqi News Agency-INA.

According to Iraqi News Agency, a joint security force comprising Al-Gharraf Police Department, the 4th Emergency Regiment, and the Criminal Investigation Department of the Dhi Qar Police Command carried out an operation to execute arrest warrants issued against individuals wanted under Article 406 of the Penal Code in the Talaha area of Al-Gharraf district.

Upon reaching the target, the force came under direct fire from four wanted suspects, who fled in a pickup truck. This prompted the security forces to return fire and pursue the fleeing suspects.

The operation also led to the arrest of five additional suspects who allegedly attempted to aid the suspects and facilitate their escape in the vehicle. This brought the total number of arrests to nine.

Searches of the suspects’ homes resulted in the seizure of four Kalashnikov rifles, a JC-type rifle, and a pistol, all of which were unlicensed. Additionally, the vehicle used in the escape was confiscated.

One security officer, a police commissioner, sustained minor head injuries from metal fragments caused by the gunfire. He was transported to Nasiriyah General Hospital for treatment and is reported to be in good and stable condition.

Legal measures have been taken against those arrested, and the seized items are under the jurisdiction of the Al-Gharraf Police Department and the relevant police station, pending their referral to the judiciary.