Iraqi forces clear armed faction site in Baghdad
Shafaq News– Baghdad
Iraqi security forces “forcibly evacuated” a large compound belonging to Saraya al-Jihad wal-Binaa in southern Baghdad on Saturday, after the group failed to comply with a court order to vacate the site, a security source said.
The source told Shafaq News that the land, covering about four dunams (0.4 hectares), had been occupied since 2014 by the 17th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) affiliated with the faction. A judicial ruling and directives from senior authorities ordered the site cleared, but the group did not respond, prompting security forces to cordon off the compound and remove occupants by force.
The move comes amid sustained US pressure on the Iraqi government to dismantle armed factions, bring weapons under state control, and prevent such groups from taking part in the formation of a new government, particularly after factions-linked blocs secured significant parliamentary representation.
Former prime minister and State of Law coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki said earlier this monththat there was a push to hand over heavy weapons held by factions to the state. Separately, the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan announced in late 2025 that armed factions had agreed to restrict weapons to state control. In a statement, Zaidan thanked faction leaders for cooperating to enforce the rule of law, limit arms to the state, and transition to political activity “after the national need for armed action has ended.”
Following Zaidan’s remarks, several factions signaled acceptance of the call, including statements by Kataib al-Imam Ali leader Shibl Al-Zaidi, Asaib Ahl al-Haq chief Qais Al-Khazali, as well as Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and spokesmen for Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
However, Kataib Hezbollah rejected disarmament in a statement, arguing that sovereignty, internal security, and an end to foreign interference must precede any discussion of limiting weapons to the state. A senior figure in Harakat al-Nujaba also said the group would continue “resistance against US forces.”
Read more: Diverging views emerge on disarming Armed Factions in the Middle East
