Several Iraqi politicians, lawmakers, and officials have been arrested on corruption charges, according to Iraqi state-run media reports.

The Iraqi News Agency, citing a security source, reported that several individuals, including members of parliament “whose immunity had been lifted” and officials whose names appeared in “confessions,” were arrested early Sunday in the capital, Baghdad.

It was not immediately clear who had been arrested. There was no immediate official statement from the Iraqi government or security forces regarding the arrests.

A security source told Al Jazeera that elite Iraqi security forces conducted a large-scale arrest operation at dawn in the fortified International Zone (Green Zone) and several neighborhoods in Baghdad.

The source said the arrests were carried out by the Counter Terrorism Service and were based on statements provided by Adnan al-Jumaili, deputy oil minister, after his arrest last month on corruption charges.

Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has pledged to fight corruption and mismanagement that have plagued Iraq for decades.

Authorities seized about $86 million in cash this month that was allegedly part of the corruption case against al-Jumaili.

The Associated Press reported that seven people were arrested on Sunday, including five members of parliament. It cited a security agency report it obtained. AP said some of those arrested were from the political bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

During November’s parliamentary elections, al-Sudani’s bloc won the largest share of seats, but he did not return as prime minister. He stepped aside amid a deadlock in the Coordination Framework, a group of Shia parties allied with Iran that brought al-Sudani to power.

Source: www.aljazeera.com