Iraq: Drone strikes in Baghdad raise fears of al-Qaeda prison break

Iraq’s Ministry of Justice warned that repeated drone attacks near Baghdad International Airport pose a risk to a nearby prison holding high-risk al-Qaeda detainees, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies on March 16th.

The ministry said areas around Baghdad International Airport and Airport Prison, also known as Karkh Central Prison near Abu Ghraib, had been struck several times in recent days.

Late on March 14th, missiles landed near the prison, raising concerns about the security of the facility holding what the ministry described as highly dangerous terrorist prisoners.

Authorities said security measures remain in place but warned that further strikes near the prison could disrupt precautionary plans or damage infrastructure.

The attacks targeted the Logistics Support Centre at Baghdad airport, which has been targeted by drones several times in recent days. The facility is located near Victoria Base, where US military advisers are stationed.

Karkh Central Prison is believed to hold al-Qaeda members among detainees who have been transferred from Syria to Iraq in recent years.

Inmates have been heard chanting slogans inside the prison whenever drones strike nearby, apparently hoping the attacks could create an opportunity to escape.

Electricity to the facility was also cut after unidentified attackers struck the al-Zaytoun power station that supplies the prison and nearby security installations. Backup generators were activated to restore power to the facility.

The situation has raised concerns about a repeat of the 2013 prison break, when hundreds of militants escaped Iraqi prisons. Many later joined extremist groups that seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 after advancing from Syria.

Air defence systems at the Logistics Support Center, formerly Camp Victoria, shot down three drones carrying explosives the evening of March 14th.

The drones were intercepted near the US facility and the Martyr Mohammed Alaa Air Base, while another drone approaching Baghdad airport earlier that day was also intercepted.

Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies, Reuters, Maghrebi.org