Tragic death of army cadets sparks national outcry in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered an investigation into the deaths of two Iraqi army cadets and the illness of many others at a military college in the southern Dhi Qar province. Parliament has also called for accountability in the incident that saw “over 100 cadets” suffer from extreme exhaustion due to high temperatures and intense physical exertion

The Premier’s Spokesperson Sabah al-Numan on Wednesday stated that Sudani “directed the formation of an investigative council to identify those responsible and take legal action, following the deaths of two cadets from the Fourth Military College in Dhi Qar Province and the illness of other cadets.”

Sudani further dismissed the head of the military academy, his deputy, and the commanding officer of the regiment whose cadets were affected, Numan said.

The Prime Minister also instructed that “the rank of Second Lieutenant be posthumously awarded to the two deceased cadets,” making their families eligible for compensation granted to fallen soldiers.

Earlier in the day, the Iraqi defense ministry stated that the cadets had joined the Fourth Military College in Dhi Qar’s provincial capital Nasiriyah on Sunday.

During the reception process, “nine cadets began showing signs of dehydration and health complications” due to prolonged sun exposure, the ministry noted, adding that “they were immediately transported to Nasiriyah Hospital by the military college’s medical team.”

Initially, the ministry confirmed that one cadet succumbed to health complications, while six others recovered and are set to be discharged and two cadets remain under medical observation.

Later, the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee stated that the death toll had risen to two, noting that it had formed a “follow-up team” to investigate the incident thoroughly and “ensure the safety of the cadets and improve their training conditions.”

Importantly, the Committee noted that “more than a 100 cadets” had “suffered fainting and severe exhaustion” during the reception process and emphasized that it is “closely monitoring the health status of the affected cadets to prevent future occurrences.