Iraq’s National Security Service (NSS) has announced that it successfully foiled a plot to assassinate the agency’s chief and several senior security officials, arresting a number of suspects allegedly linked to a group associated with the banned Baath Party.
A statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency said the operation was conducted under the direct supervision of NSS chief Abdul Karim al-Basri following an extensive intelligence effort that included surveillance, monitoring, and infiltration of the suspected network.
The agency said the suspects were connected to the so-called Iraqi National Gathering for Liberation and Change, which authorities described as a front organisation for the outlawed Baath Party.Investigations revealed that members of the group had progressed beyond issuing threats and incitement, moving toward operational planning. Authorities said the suspects had assigned roles, identified targets, and prepared weapons for carrying out the attacks.
The planned assassinations were reportedly aimed at Abdul Karim al-Basri, the NSS spokesperson, Baghdad’s security director, and several other officers.Security forces uncovered the plot before it could be executed, tracked down those involved, and seized evidence related to the planned attacks, the statement said.
The NSSadded that additional details, including information about how the operation was planned, will be released at a later stage.