Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces arrested individuals accused of vandalizing images of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, former Commander of the Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, former Deputy Head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

A security source informed Shafaq News Agency, “The General Directorate of Security detained a group of individuals involved in defacing images of the ‘Victory Leaders’ [Soleimani and al-Muhandis] near the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad’s Karrada district.”

The source explained that the act was believed to be an attempt to “incite division among the Iraqi people and undermine the country’s internal stability.” However, he did not disclose the number of individuals detained.

This arrest follows a similar case earlier this month. In mid-December, security forces in Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, detained a young man accused of tearing down images of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis. The individual was released the next day by the Diyala Court of Appeals order.

Notably, the controversy surrounding images of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis continues to underscore political and societal sensitivities in Iraq. The two leaders were killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020, an event that significantly escalated tensions in the region. Both figures are regarded as key players in Iraq’s fight against ISIS, with supporters referring to them as the “Victory Leaders,” while others criticize their roles as symbols of “external influence” in Iraq’s political landscape.