The sabotage cells were planning further terrorist acts with backing and sponsorship from Ukraine.
Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi stated late on Monday that the intelligence apparatus, through a series of operations nationwide, had detected and neutralized multiple teams affiliated with the intelligence services of Ukraine.
“We have disbanded a number of groups that carried out attacks inside Iraqi territory, and targeted several state facilities. During interrogations, they confessed to affiliation with Ukraine,” Aboudi said.
He, however, did not provide any information about the Iraqi installations purportedly targeted by the sabotage teams.
The senior Iraqi security officials also did not specify whether the Ukraine-linked groups had conducted operations beyond Iraq’s borders.
Aboudi noted that attacks within Iraqi territory constitute “a complex file”, requiring extensive investigations before authorities can determine responsibility or formally charge any party with carrying them out.
There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian government on the report.
The Iraqi national security advisor’s remarks come as the Baghdad government has consistently reiterated its commitment to the policy of “keeping Iraq away from regional and international conflicts.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has repeatedly stressed that the country’s security and sovereignty require that Iraqi territory must not be a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries, and that the decision of war and peace is the decision of the state alone.