Shafaq News- Saladin

The appointment of a new commander for the Samarra Operations Command has triggered tensions in the Iraqi city after members of Saraya al-Salam, the armed faction of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) led by Muqtada al-Sadr, rejected the decision, security sources told Shafaq News on Monday.

According to a document, Faleh al-Fayyadh, chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces —a predominantly Shiite umbrella formation incorporated into Iraq’s state security apparatus in 2016— relieved Ali Jakhifa Lafta al-Shammari of his duties as commander of Samarra Operations and appointed Youssef Mizan Naseef Ragheef as his replacement, effective immediately.

The document did not outline the reasons behind the decision.

Security sources reported that members of Saraya al-Salam deployed across several streets and locations in the city in response to the move, citing the new commander’s affiliation with Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the dismissed commander’s perceived proximity to Saraya al-Salam as the main drivers of their opposition.

Tensions between Saraya al-Salam and Asaib Ahl al-Haq have persisted. The latter’s leader, Qais al-Khazali, split from Muqtada al-Sadr’s movement and the Mahdi Army before establishing the faction. Rivalry between both sides has periodically fueled political disputes and armed confrontations in several southern provinces, including Basra and Maysan.

Last month, al-Sadr stated that Saraya al-Salam would disengage and directed its members to integrate into official institutions under the authority of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

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