Iraq.. Gunfire targets army thermal camera in Kirkuk
Agencies2 min read
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A thermal camera belonging to the Commando Brigade of the Kirkuk Operations Command in northern Iraq was targeted by unidentified gunfire on Saturday evening, with no human casualties reported.
The Security Media Cell in Iraq stated in a release that "a thermal camera belonging to the Commando Brigade of the Kirkuk Operations Command was targeted by unidentified gunfire this Saturday evening, in an area with rugged terrain overlooking the banks of the Zab River, within the Nineveh Operations Command sector."
The statement added: "The incident resulted in damage to the camera without any human casualties, while the forces holding the ground initiated a wide-scale combing operation in the area to track down the source of the gunfire."
The incident comes at a time when the Iraqi arena is witnessing a security alert following Thursday attacks targeting the Saudi "East-West" pipeline by drones that Riyadh said came from Iraq, resulting in injuries and damage.
The "East-West" pipeline, also known as "Petroline," is one of the most important oil transport routes in Saudi Arabia, extending about 1,200 kilometers from Abqaiq in the east of the Kingdom to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, with a capacity reaching about 7 million barrels per day.
Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Faleh Al-Zubaidi, ordered the formation of an investigative committee regarding the Maysan Operations Command and relieved its commander of his post.
The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Noaman, said the decision came "against the backdrop of proven attacks targeting the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia originating from a location inside the governorate."
Maysan is a governorate located in southeastern Iraq, bordering Iran.
