PM told to reveal fate of Sunni tribesmen detained in Baghdad

The Iraqi Forces Alliance, the largest Sunni bloc in parliament, demanded on Tuesday that Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and the Baghdad Operations Command should reveal the fate of 45 Sunni citizens who were detained by men wearing military uniforms in the “Baghdad belt”. The area is home to a number of Sunni Arab tribes.

“An armed force conducted a broad campaign in the district of Tarmiya, north of Baghdad, on Thursday, 19 January,” Ahmad Al-Mashhadani MP told a press conference accompanied by colleagues from the bloc. “This resulted in the arrest of 45 of the area’s residents.”

He pointed out that the official security agencies in the region had denied arresting any citizens, hence the demand for a statement from the prime minister.