Peregraf
Iraq’s Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has approved sweeping measures against senior members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other officials following the deadly July 27 attack on the Karkh Agriculture Department in Baghdad.
The investigation, led by a special committee, found that armed elements from Kataib Hezbollah’s 45th and 46th PMF Brigades unlawfully entered the civilian government facility without orders or approval. The attackers clashed with security personnel, killing three people — a federal policeman, a civilian, and a Kataib Hezbollah fighter — and injuring others.
Investigators also implicated the dismissed director of the Karkh Agriculture Department, Ayad Kazim Ali, accusing him of prior coordination with the armed group, administrative corruption, impersonation, forgery of official documents, and illegal seizure of agricultural land.
The report highlighted serious flaws in the PMF’s command and control system, pointing to formations that operate outside standard military regulations.
Approved Recommendations:
• Dismissal of the commanders of the PMF’s 45th and 46th Brigades.
• Investigation into the PMF’s Jazeera Operations commander for negligence.
• Referral of all perpetrators to the judiciary with full evidence and case files.
• Accountability for officials who failed to take swift legal and security measures.
• Strict enforcement of PMF disciplinary procedures to prevent rogue actions.
• Review of unit deployments and leadership competence by a joint committee from relevant ministries.
• Honoring security personnel who acted courageously during the incident.
• Guaranteeing full rights to the victims and recognizing slain civilian Abbas Obaid Nahi as a martyr.
Al-Sudani reiterated his order for all security forces to strictly follow regulations, act decisively against any breach of law, and protect the rights of all Iraqis without discrimination.
The July attack — condemned by Washington and Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework alike — has intensified scrutiny of Iran-aligned militias and their role within Iraq’s security apparatus. Kataib Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, has been accused of repeated attacks against US interests since October 2023.