The Iraqi authorities have escalated their military alert status to the highest level, entering into an Alert Level C for military sectors. The official Iraqi News Agency reported on Wednesday that the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, directed the military sectors to enter Alert Level C. Furthermore, the agency unveiled, based on a document it reviewed, that Al-Sudani ordered a halt to leave permissions, requiring army sectors to adhere to the alert status from December 14th until December 20th.
According to the instructions, all personnel on leave were mandated to rejoin their units immediately and commanders were to report to their posts. Alert Level C represents the utmost severe readiness condition in Iraq, aiming to protect the state and its citizens from any potential dangers that may affect them, as indicated by army spokesperson Major General Yahya Rasool in press statements.
While the official agency did not clarify the reasons behind the elevation to this level of alertness, Iraq is anticipated to hold local elections on December 18th, with 16 million voters participating. This marks the first such elections in a decade, and observers suggest this increase in alertness may correlate with protecting the electoral process.
Moreover, in recent weeks, the American embassy and US military bases in Iraq have experienced a series of attacks with rockets and drones. The Prime Minister previously issued directives to pursue the perpetrators of these assaults. The US forces stationed at military bases in Iraq and Syria have faced over 92 attacks since mid-October, utilizing rockets and drones, in response to the US’s supportive stance towards Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip.
