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An Iraqi Shiite faction loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has firmly rejected serving under the command of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Saraya al-Salam's refusal to integrate into the PMF, a key component of Iraq's security apparatus, could present an early challenge to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's initiative to bring all arms under state control.

The dispute arose after reports of a new security commander being appointed in Samarra, where Sadr's armed wing is based. This commander is rumored to be close to the Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction, which has historically had a tense relationship with the Sadrist movement.

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intervene immediately to settle this matter

A Sadrist official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Samarra was experiencing "severe tension" due to "deliberate friction" from certain PMF commanders and parties targeting Saraya fighters. The official stated that the tension escalated after PMF chief Falih al-Fayyadh dismissed Ali al-Aqili, the PMF operations commander in Samarra and a member of the Sadrist movement, replacing him with an individual affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This move angered Saraya fighters.

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state of severe tension

The official urged the prime minister, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to "intervene immediately to settle this matter." Saraya al-Salam is now asserting that it operates directly under the prime minister's command.

Earlier in June, Zaidi issued an administrative order establishing a higher committee to oversee Saraya al-Salam's integration into government security forces. The Joint Operations Command subsequently confirmed receiving the necessary data for Saraya al-Salam formations to facilitate their integration. Saraya al-Salam, which has been based in Samarra since 2007, operates through PMF brigades 313, 314, and 315. Despite its formal inclusion in the PMF, the faction has largely maintained semi-independent operations and has poor relations with many other PMF factions.

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deliberate friction

While the PMF has not officially commented on the current tension, Saraya al-Salam has appealed to both Sadr and Zaidi. In a statement, the faction emphasized its voluntary disarmament and integration into state institutions, presenting this move as a "practical model" for placing weapons under state authority. The faction stressed it would not remain under PMF command.

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a practical model