Gunmen attack on gov't office kills 2 in Baghdad

28/7/2025 5:57

A federal police member and a civilian were killed on Sunday when gunmen from an armed group attacked an office of the Agriculture Ministry in Baghdad, a source from the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

The ministry said a group of gunmen stormed the office building Sunday morning during an administrative meeting chaired by a newly appointed director, and panicked employees immediately called on the security forces for help.

Federal police units and emergency patrols rushed to the scene and came under direct fire from the gunmen, resulting in several officers and personnel sustaining various injuries, it said.

An Interior Ministry source told Xinhua that a federal police member and a civilian, who was caught in crossfire, were killed, along with the wounding of at least eight security personnel.

The Federal Police Command also confirmed the death of one of its members in the incident.

A total of 14 gunmen have been arrested so far, the Interior Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said in a statement that upon verifying the identities of the 14 detainees, it was confirmed they are affiliated with the 45th and 46th brigades of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

The detainees have been referred to the judiciary, and legal procedures have been initiated, the statement added.

The statement also said that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, also Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi forces, has ordered the formation of a high-level investigative committee to determine the circumstances of the incident and "how the armed force moved without official orders or authorization, attempted to seize a government building, and opened fire on security personnel."

The PMF said in a statement that its forces operate under the umbrella of the state and its legitimate leadership, and any individual or collective action that deviates from this framework is considered a violation of the law. The PMF stressed that they will not tolerate any individual who exceeds orders or violates security protocols.