Shi’ite cleric Sadr says only Iraq’s military should hold land seized from IS
Influential Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Friday that only Iraq's military should hold territory recaptured from Islamic State, an apparent sign of concern that rival militias might use the gains to expand their influence. "It is necessary to support the Iraqi army and security forces to complete their victories in the usurped areas," […]Ahmed Rasheed writes for Reuters:
Influential Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Friday that only Iraq's military should hold territory recaptured from Islamic State, an apparent sign of concern that rival militias might use the gains to expand their influence.
"It is necessary to support the Iraqi army and security forces to complete their victories in the usurped areas," Sadr told thousands of supporters at a rally in Baghdad.
"They should be the only ones that hold ground after liberating it - no others, whether the occupier, foreign forces or others," he said.
