BASRA, Iraq, Dec. 25, 2008 – Iraqi Security Forces recently uncovered hundreds of historical artifacts during two raids in northern Basra.
The 228 ancient artifacts included Sumerian and Babylonian sculpture, gold jewelry and other items from ancient Mesopotamia.
“This is my favorite item,†said Iraqi Col. Ali Sabah, commander of the Basra Emergency Battalion that led the operation, holding a piece of gold jewelry. “It’s gold from the Babylon ages and about 6,000 years old. It doesn’t have a price.â€
“I’m very happy because this is my civilization’s heritage,†he said.
The Basra Emergency Battalion led raid operated from tips that smugglers intended to remove the treasure from the country.
“We got information that there were important Iraqi monuments that were going to be smuggled outside of Iraq,†Sabah said.
After verifying a tip, the operation kicked off with a house raid that recovered 160 pieces of Iraqi monuments that were found in the yard. “We arrested five of the guys and they admitted to the crime,†he said.
These arrests led to a second raid on in al-Ayaqub in northern Basra.
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