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Iraq sacks 300 officers in reform to sharpen army competence

Xinhua, April 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al- Abadi on Monday retired over 300 army officers as part of his efforts to enhance security capabilities while the country fights the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

"The commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, retired more than 300 officers from the Ministry of Defense as part of a restructuring plan to make the army more effective and efficient in confronting the risks facing Iraq and to protect its national security," Abadi's office said in a statement.

No details were given about the names, positions and military ranks of the sacked officers.

Abadi's move came hours before going to Washington on an official visit expected to seek U.S. help to acquire billions of dollars worth of drones and arms to fight the IS group.

The IS has seized swathes of territories since last June in several predominantly Sunni provinces north and west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Endit