Al-Sadr orders expulsion of “Azharion” militia from Saraya al-Salam

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Shiite Patriotic Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr directed Tahseen al-Hameedawi, the commander of Saraya Al-Salam, to expel members of the "Azharion" formation from the group and called for a boycott.

Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi, known as Al-Sadr’s Minister, shared the directive in a post on social media, quoting Al-Sadr, "Brother Tahseen al-Hameedawi must expel all members of the insolent militia known as, Azharion, from the ranks of Saraya Al-Salam."

Al-Sadr also urged the broader Shiite Patriotic Movement to sever ties with the group and report them to security authorities, stating, "The Shiite Patriotic Movement must boycott them and inform security forces about their disgraceful actions that undermine the country's security."

Saraya al-Salam is a powerful armed group affiliated with the Sadrist movement, led by influential cleric al-Sadr. Al-Sadr reformed his forces in 2014, to protect Shiite shrines from ISIS. This new group was almost entirely formed from the Mahdi Army remnants which fought against the US forces in the post 2003 era.