Iraq’s Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades defies PM al-Sudani, who dismisses Popular Mobilization Forces’ leaders after deadly attack

BAGHDAD — In a new escalation highlighting the deep divisions over armed groups in Iraq, the Iran-backed militia Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades (Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada) rejected Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s call to end all armed groups operating outside state control. The militia’s spokesperson, Kazem al-Fartousi, insisted that putting weapons exclusively under state authority “does not mean sidelining factions that defended Iraq’s holy sites and sovereignty.” 

These remarks came just hours after al-Sudan issued a firm stance, emphasizing that the monopoly of arms by the state and upholding the rule of law are principles strongly supported by religious authorities. He stressed that this approach “is not aimed at any particular group or individual,” but added that “the current stable situation does not justify the presence of any weapons outside official state institutions.” He also called on tribal leaders to back the enforcement of the law and judiciary. 

Demonstrating his government’s determination to enforce discipline, al-Sudan dismissed the commanders of the 45th and 46th brigades within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and referred them to the judiciary after members of their units were involved in a violent attack last month on the Agriculture Directorate in Karkh district, Baghdad, which resulted in casualties including civilians. 

Al-Sudan’s spokesperson, Sabah Al-Numan, clarified that those who carried out the attack belonged to Kata’ib Hezbollah and acted without official orders, violating military regulations and using weapons against security forces. Al-Numan pointed to “serious flaws in the command-and-control system within the PMF,” noting that some units operate outside the formal military framework. 

This crisis exposes the complex challenges facing al-Sudan’s government as it seeks to reassert state control over armed power, navigating a tangled network of politically and militarily influential factions amid ongoing disputes over the future role of the PMF in Iraq’s political landscape.