Shafaq News – Najaf

On Tuesday, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Patriotic Shiite Movement, ordered a ban on armed displays, including his Saraya al-Salam faction, “except in areas of confrontation with terrorists.”

In a handwritten directive, al-Sadr said the move was intended to “deny the corrupt the strife they seek.”

The order also prohibits all public gatherings and demonstrations, even peaceful ones. Al-Sadr urged his followers to respond to political attacks only through social media, adding that verbal insults against him should go unanswered “for now.”

The move came two days after Saraya al-Salam deployed in Baghdad following rumors of an assassination plot against al-Sadr.