Iraq's prime minister lifts decade-old curfew in Baghdad

Starting on Saturday, Baghdad's residents will once again be free to roam their city's streets as late as they like, The Associated Press reports.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Thursday that a decade-old, midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew in the city will be lifted, effective Saturday, and he also declared four of Baghdad's major neighborhoods as weapons-free zones. Some streets that had been closed to pedestrians and traffic due to security concerns will also reopen.

Al-Abadi did not offer an explanation for the decision or its timing, which AP notes is curious, as Baghdad is still struggling with near-daily suicide and car bombings — and Iraq as a whole is fighting to regain control of northern and western parts of the country that have been captured by Islamic State militants.

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