Iraqi security forces carried out a series of overnight arrests inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, detaining an undisclosed number of current and former officials in what sources described as part of an escalating anti-corruption campaign led by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi.
The Green Zone, which houses Iraq’s parliament, the Council of Ministers, the judiciary, and multiple foreign embassies, was sealed off from late Saturday until the early hours of Sunday, sources said.
Residents and sources inside the district reported seeing units from the Counter-Terrorism Service, or CTS, moving between private residences of political figures and lawmakers.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the operations confirmed that several senior politicians, advisers and sitting lawmakers were among those taken into custody.
They did not provide specific names or an exact number of detainees, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing operation. The arrests appeared to target figures across both the executive and legislative branches, as well as former officials who held posts in previous governments.
CTS forces were conducting coordinated raids inside the Green Zone and at some adjacent residences,” one security source said. “The area was closed to traffic and movement was restricted until the operations concluded early this morning.”
A resident of the Karrada district, adjacent to the Green Zone, said they observed “armored vehicles and masked personnel” near entry points during the night.
By dawn Sunday, checkpoints were gradually reopened and normal movement resumed, though security remained elevated around key government compounds.
The government has not issued a formal statement on the arrests by Sunday afternoon. The Supreme Judicial Council also declined to comment on the number of arrest warrants or the charges involved.
The operation comes amid Prime Minister Al Zaidi's most assertive phase yet of a campaign to confront graft, smuggling, and the misuse of public funds — a signature pledge since he took office last month.
His government has established specialized investigative committees, empowered the Integrity Commission, and pursued high-profile cases. He ordered a financial audit of major infrastructure contracts and directed security agencies.
The latest wave of detentions appears consistent with that approach. Iraqi officials have repeatedly said that previous anti-corruption drives stalled because investigations rarely reached senior political or economic actors.
By deploying CTS, an elite force that reports directly to the commander-in-chief, the government has signaled it intends to bypass routine police procedures for cases deemed high-risk or politically sensitive.
