Rocket attack injures two Saraya al-Salam members in Iraq’s Diyala: Source
Shafaq News/ Two members of Saraya al-Salam, the military wing of Iraq’s Sadrist Movement (currently known as the National Shiite Movement), were injured in a rocket attack on their headquarters in Diyala province, northeastern Iraq, a local police source reported on Thursday.
Saraya al-Salam is an armed group, led by influential cleric Muqtada 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.
The source told Shafaq News Agency, “At 2:00 a.m., a rocket targeted a Saraya al-Salam headquarters from a nearby location, though the source of the attack is unknown…Saraya al-Salam members responded by firing randomly in the area, in the center of Kan'an subdistrict, east of Baqubah.”
“The attack and random gunfire resulted in the injury of two Saraya al-Salam members and damage to one of their vehicles,” The source added. “An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the incident.”
Meanwhile, Burhan Al-Mamouri, an MP close to the Sadrist Movement, condemned the attack, calling it a "cowardly" assault. He confirmed that “several members of Saraya al-Salam were injured.”
Al-Mamouri further said the attack "aims to destabilize the security and stability of Diyala," noting “it is part of a series of reckless actions and exclusionary decisions by political parties and factions battling for power and positions.”
"Diyala, with its social and ethnic diversity, should remain free from disturbances caused by political players vying for power," he confirmed, calling on the Diyala governor, operations commander, police chief, and security forces to take swift action to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
