Iraq’s top Shiite cleric orders fighters to disarm after defeat of ISIL
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric on Monday ordered his fighters to hand state-issued weapons back to the government following the country’s defeat of ISIL. Moqtada Al Sadr’s fighters, Saraya Al Salam, or Peace Brigades, took up arms against the extremist group in 2014 after the fall of Mosul and are officially part of the government-sanctioned Popular […]Mina Aldroubi writes for The National:
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric on Monday ordered his fighters to hand state-issued weapons back to the government following the country’s defeat of ISIL.
Moqtada Al Sadr’s fighters, Saraya Al Salam, or Peace Brigades, took up arms against the extremist group in 2014 after the fall of Mosul and are officially part of the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as Hashed Al Shaabi.
In a televised statement, Mr Al Sadr called on his fighters to also hand over parts of the territory they control to Iraq’s security forces. He maintained, however, that his fighters would remain present as protectors of a holy Shiite shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad.
