Baghdad abolishes anti-ISIS coordination body, shifts powers to PM

Iraq has decided to abolish its Joint Operations Command, a central body established to coordinate the fight against militant groups including al-Qaeda and Islamic State, according to Shafaq News.

Citing security sources, the outlet reported that “in its current form, the Joint Operations Command is being abolished, and its functions will be transferred and reorganised within the command structure of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces,” a role held by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

It remains unclear whether the restructuring will extend to regional branches of the Joint Operations Command operating in several provinces, or be limited to dissolving the main headquarters in Baghdad and transferring its responsibilities to the commander-in-chief’s office.

The reported changes come days after the prime minister appointed former Interior Minister General Abdel Amir al-Shammari as head of the commander-in-chief’s office, a position that includes overseeing coordination among Iraq’s security agencies.

Established in 2007 at the height of al-Qaeda’s insurgency in Iraq, the Joint Operations Command was designed to unify operational control across the ministries of defence, interior and other security bodies under the direct authority of the armed forces’ commander-in-chief. It later played a central role in coordinating military campaigns against Islamic State and in maintaining links with provincial security structures to support stability across the country.

By Tamilla Hasanova