Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, on Thursday ordered that all military flights, including reconnaissance aircraft, be prohibited from using the Iraqi airspace without his permission.
Mahdi issued the order while chairing a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on cancellation of permissions of flights in Iraq’s airspace for reconnaissance aircraft/armed reconnaissance aircraft, fighter jets, helicopters and drones for all Iraqi and non-Iraqi parties.
He also specified that flight permissions must be exclusively given by him or any party authorised by him.
“All parties must abide by this directive and any violation of Iraq’s airspace shall be considered hostile and be dealt with immediately by the Iraqi air defence,’’ Mahdi said.
However, he did not provide further details about the future of the aircraft of the U.S-led coalition, which had been providing support to the Iraqi forces by conducting airstrikes against the remnants of the ISIS.
Mahdi’s order came during the discussion at the NSC meeting about the huge explosion of an ammunition depot in southern Baghdad, which killed a civilian and wounded 29 including six policemen and Hashd Shaabi members.
He had since ordered a thorough investigation into the huge explosion in the Iraqi capital and removal of all ammunition warehouses and military camps to areas outside the cities.
