ISTANBUL / Leith al-Junaidi / Anadolu Agency

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi on Saturday directed relevant authorities to follow up on the circumstances of the killing of Iraqi fisherman Najm Abdullah and take the necessary legal measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

A statement from the Prime Minister's office said that al-Zeidi directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Army Chief of Staff, and the relevant security authorities on the ground in Basra province (south) to follow up on the details of the killing of Iraqi fisherman Najm Abdullah.

He stressed 'the importance of taking all legal measures that prevent the recurrence of such incidents and protect the lives and property of our citizens.'

Local Iraqi media had reported that Abdullah was killed after a Kuwaiti Coast Guard patrol opened fire on an Iraqi fishing boat in a disputed border water area, while the rest of the crew were detained for several days before being handed over to Baghdad.

On Wednesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced that the competent Kuwaiti authorities agreed to release the Iraqi fishermen, coinciding with an official visit he made to Kuwait.

The maritime relations between the two countries are witnessing legal complexities, as Kuwait protests Iraq's deposit of coordinates and maps with the United Nations, considering that this affects its sovereignty over water areas including 'Fasht al-Qaid' and 'Fasht al-Aij'.

In response, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry affirmed that this step represents a sovereign measure consistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

It added that Kuwait had deposited its maritime maps unilaterally with the United Nations in 2014, without prior consultation with Baghdad.

The main disputes between the two sides revolve around completing the demarcation of maritime borders after boundary marker 162, and regulating navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway.