Senior Iraqi police officer injured during raid on suspected drug traffickers in Thi Qar

According to the Iraqi Interior Ministry, a police colonel overseeing the Anti-narcotics Office in northern Thi Qar province was injured while commanding a raid on suspected drug dealers in the south. The two suspects fired on the team, causing the colonel to receive gunshot wounds to his abdomen and leg; he was promptly transported to a hospital, where surgeons stopped the bleeding and his condition is now reported as stable.

Both suspects were also injured during the clash. Authorities seized a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, several magazines of ammunition and five hand grenades. The ministry highlighted the growing challenge of drug trafficking and abuse in Iraq since 2003, citing weak governments, corruption, porous borders and poor inter-agency cooperation as contributing factors. Crystal meth remains the most widely used illicit drug in the country, followed by Captagon, according to the Health Ministry.