Iraq Military Denies Coup Report, Blames Social Media Hacking

Reports of an ongoing military coup d’etat in Iraq have turned out to be unfounded, with Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Services (CTS), the elite forces ordered to crush public protests, saying their leader was “hacked by weak-spirited people” who spread a false claim.

The CTS was involved heavily in the Iraqi war against ISIS, and Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi called for them to clear protesters from the streets when the rallies calling for his ouster really started to grow.

But on Monday, the CTS head’s Twitter account claimed the start of a military insurrection and “the start of the military coup against the illegitimate government in response to the demands of the Iraqi people.”

With top religious figures like Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani backing the protesters, a coup wouldn’t be a shock, but the CTS says it had “no credibility at all,” and signs are that the CTS continues to support the government.