Kataib Hezbollah reiterates Iraq operations halt

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi armed faction Kataib Hezbollah reaffirmed on Tuesday that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) had suspended military operations inside the country until further notice, denying involvement in an incident involving an aircraft described as friendly to the United States over Baghdad's Green Zone last week.

In a statement, the group's security official, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, said any future military operation would be announced immediately.

Al-Assaf also questioned the activities of Emirati-Syrian aircraft in Iraqi airspace, referring to the reported crash of one aircraft on a farm in Karbala and asking whether similar movements had previously taken place in Samawah.

The remarks follow a drone incident near Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on October 27, when Iraqi air defenses intercepted unidentified aircraft, triggering explosions heard across the capital and sirens at the US Embassy.

Earlier on Tuesday, Shafaq News reported that al-Zaidi had held separate discussions with faction leaders opposed to surrendering their weapons, prompting objections from members of the negotiating committee, including Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Ameri.

According to informed sources, the committee has continued working toward a June 30, 2027 deadline for bringing armed factions' weapons under government control.

Kataib Hezbollah previously announced a halt to military operations inside Iraq on October 1 following the withdrawal of US-led Coalition troops, while rejecting suggestions that the suspension amounted to an agreement to surrender its weapons.

In a separate statement on September 28, al-Assaf warned that the faction would monitor Iraqi airspace and could target aircraft it considered hostile.