Iraqi factions rally to celebrate ‘Sovereignty Days’

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Dozens of members of Iraqi armed factions, an umbrella grouping of Iran-aligned groups, gathered in Baghdad on Wednesday to mark “Sovereignty Days,” commemorating the Sept. 30 end of the US-led Coalition’s military mission and the shift to bilateral security partnerships.

The gathering, attended by some faction commanders, took place near the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) media directorate on Palestine Street. Participants carried images of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The event also featured models and replicas of drones representing operations carried out by Iraqi factions against “US forces and interests in Iraq and elsewhere in the region.”

Earlier today, Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi formally declared the end of the Coalition’s mission against ISIS in Iraq, saying Iraqi forces would assume full responsibility for the country’s security.

Read more: Iraqi leaders mark ‘Sovereignty Days’ as Coalition mission ends