Saraya al-Salam denies withdrawal from Samarra, confirms formation of new brigade in Najaf

Shafaq News/ A source from Saraya al-Salam clarified on Thursday the truth behind the withdrawal of its forces from the city of Samarra.

The source told Shafaq News, "Reports about the withdrawal of Saraya al-Salam brigades from Samarra to build a new headquarters in Najaf on the orders of Muqtada al-Sadr are completely false."

The source added that al-Sadr instructed the formation of a special brigade in the city of Najaf to protect the holy shrines, such as the shrine of Imam Ali and other sacred sites, as well as to safeguard all religious authorities in the coming period.

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 largely formed from the Mahdi Army remnants which fought against the US forces in the post 2003 era.