Most of the soldiers deployed in the dozens of checkpoints in Baghdad’s neighborhoods, crossroads, main roads and bystreets are not satisfied with their often unfruitful presence in the streets, or with the attitudes of the citizens who are displeased with the traffic jams caused by the checkpoints, where no actual checking takes place.
Security sources told Al-Monitor, “There are around 250 fixed checkpoints in Baghdad and a similar number of smaller or mobile ones. This number reaches around 1,000 checkpoints during major security crises or religious occasions.” Meanwhile, other provinces have fewer checkpoints, and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region has almost none.