JAKARTA - Iraqi authorities have decided to tighten security measures during Ramadan, anticipating terror attacks or security disturbances that 'usually' occur during Ramadan.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi has ordered security forces to step up security measures as Iraqis begin to observe Ramadan.
This step was taken by PM Al Khadami after holding a meeting with Iraqi Interior Ministry officials on Sunday.
"The security leadership needs to adopt new and special measures according to the activities and social needs during Ramadan," Prime Minister Kadhimi was quoted as saying by The National News on April 5.
Furthermore, PM Al Kadhimi ordered the Civil Defense Corps to stand guard in crowded areas, while hotlines were available for emergencies citing a 'security challenge'.
People in Iraq usually don't go out during the day during Ramadan, to avoid the temperature rise which has already started to exceed 30 degrees Celsius.
After breaking their fast at sunset, people flock to mosques, holy sites, commercial areas, parks, and cafes until dawn when they eat their suhoor.
After the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled President Saddam Hussein and unleashed a bloody insurgency. Ramadan has been the catalyst for extremists from Al Qaeda in Iraq to later ISIS, to launch attacks primarily against Shiites.
One of the deadliest attacks was in 2016, when a suicide truck bomb hit the commercial district of Karrada, killing at least 300 people and injuring hundreds more.
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Iraqis were preparing for Eid al-Fitr, the three days that marked the end of Ramadan. ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing. Last year, the Iraqi government arrested the mastermind behind the attack.
With continued counterterrorism pressure, no major attacks by ISIS have occurred, except for a few attacks on security forces and civilians in remote areas.
To note, Iraq's Sunni minority began observing Ramadan on Saturday. Meanwhile, the majority of Shiites start on Sunday due to differences in the technique of observing the months that determine the beginning and end of Ramadan that they use.
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