Bombing targets Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq office in Najaf

Shafaq News / An official security source reported on Sunday morning that an office affiliated with Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, a Shiite armed group, was targeted by a homemade bomb in Najaf governorate, the capital of Shia Islam in Iraq and the world.

The improvised explosive device detonated in the Al-Salam neighborhood in downtown Najaf, resulting in significant material damage to the office. No human casualties or injuries were reported.

In a separate incident earlier today, an office associated with al-Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) was attacked with an RBG7-type rocket in Babil governorate. The assault caused no human injuries but damaged the office.

This attack followed the killing of activist Aysar Al-Khafaji in Babil. Al-Khafaji was abducted on Sunday, February 18, and his body was discovered the next day.

The heightened tensions in Babil led to the deployment of Saraya al-Salam forces, the military wing of the Sadrist Movement, under the leadership of Muqtada al-Sadr.

On Monday, February 19, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior released a statement clarifying the circumstances of Al-Khafaji's killing, describing it as a "hit-and-run accident in Babil," with unlawful elements attempting to disrupt stability.

The ministry stated that a group of unlawful individuals ran over Al-Khafaji in front of his house in Abi Gharq District in Al-Hillah city, abducted him, and later his dead body was found on the highway in the Jubla area.

The security team has gathered important leads about the perpetrators, ensuring that they will face justice.

It is noteworthy that Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq is a breakaway force from the "Mahdi Army" created by the Sadrist Movement's leader Muqtada al-Sadr following the Knights' Charge of 2007. The Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq group was officially founded in 2011 by the movement's leader, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali.

Despite opposition to the Sadrist Movement, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq engaged in political activities, participating in the legislative elections in 2014 through the "Sadiqun Bloc". Their armed faction joined the PMF in battles against ISIS after the militant organization invaded large portions of Iraq in mid-2014.

Today, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq is a significant political force within the Coordinated Framework, comprising Shiite forces shaping the current federal government led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.