Iraqi Premier Fires Security Chief as Terrorism Rocks Baghdad

Local Editor

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi dismissed the head of the Baghdad Joint Operations Command, Gen. Abdul Amir Semmari, and a number of other senior security and intelligence forces responsible for protecting the Iraqi capital, Abadi's press service said Friday.

The news was circulated as a corresponding statement was published on the prime minister's website.

The dismissals come in the aftermath of Sunday's deadly terrorist attack in the heart of the capital, which left some 290 people martyred and 180 injured, and the attack on a Shiite shrine in a city of Balad, which occurred earlier in the day and left at least 30 people martyred and another 50 wounded.

In this regard, Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the terrorist "ISIS" group] claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack and is believed to be behind the Balad attack as well.

Following Sunday's attack, Iraqi Interior Minister Mohammed Salem Ghabban announced his resignation, which was accepted by al-Abadi.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team