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On the evening of June 25th, the Iraqi Security Forces raided the headquarters of Kata’ib Hezbollah in southern Baghdad.
Kata’ib Hezbollah is one of the key formations within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which is an official part of the Iraqi Armed Forces.
“The raid was the most brazen action by Iraqi forces against a major Iran-backed militia group in years and targeted the Kataib Hezbollah faction, which U.S. officials have accused of firing rockets at bases hosting U.S. troops and other facilities in Iraq,” Reuters reported.
Following the raid, there are conflict reports based on anonymous sources.
A source from the PMU, and an unnamed government official, both claimed that the detained individuals (an unknown number) were transferred to the security branch of the PMU, so they were simply returned to their own command structure.
A second government official denied any such transfer and said the militiamen were still in the custody of other security services.
An unnamed PMU official said 19 were detained, an unnamed government source said 23 were detained.
Early morning today, Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militias patrolling the streets of Baghdad following the arrest of over a dozen members for plotting rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases that house US-led coalition forces. #Iraq pic.twitter.com/TkIYgdmkEo
— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) June 26, 2020
People angered by raid on Hashd take up their arms on the streets of Baghdad! pic.twitter.com/7kcHPyvPyz
— ??Iraq & Middle East Updates (@IraqLiveUpdate) June 26, 2020
Large convoy of Hashd vehicles and Hashd supporters on the streets of Baghdad following the news of a ‘raid’ on Hashd office..
This is around 5:30am! pic.twitter.com/rSvSmtWpZm
— ??Iraq & Middle East Updates (@IraqLiveUpdate) June 26, 2020
One government official told Reuters three commanders of Kataib Hezbollah had been detained during the raid, carried out by Iraq’s elite Counter Terrorism Service. One of those commanders was an Iranian, he said.
A second PMU official said no commanders of Kataib Hezbollah were detained.
The raid was the first sign that the government of Iraq’s new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, plans to, at least formally, act as if he’s targeting groups that have openly expressed their hostility towards the US.
Both Tehran and Washington supported Kadhimi in becoming prime minister in May.
It should be reminded that entirely different groups have assumed responsibility for the targeting of US installations throughout Iraq, but Washington blames Kata’ib Hezbollah primarily.
The US also carried out a strike on December 30th, 2019, killing dozens of members in response to alleged attacks that the group took no responsibility of carrying out.
Tensions also reached a boiling point when in January the United States killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi PMU Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.
The current raid is a very obvious a result of recent US pressure on the Iraqi government to carry out, at least some formal activity, in countering aggression against US personnel. The contradicting reports of whether anybody at all was detained, and if they were simply given to the PMU, then that turns the raid into an entirely formal affair with no actual practical result.
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As I wrote earlier, the Zionist parasites and dumbass Americunts are desperate and they are trying to fan an internecine Shia conflict in Iraq, the stupid loser arseholes will fail miserably as usual and the attacks against the savage occupation cunts will only intensify. Kataib Hezbollah like its legendary Lebanese cousins is the people of Iraq who want an end to occupation and Zionism.
They destroyed rich and vibrant Iraqi communities for oil and Zionists, now they will learn the consequences of fighting highly motivated people with nowhere to go and nothing to loose.
Absolutely disgusting. I hope the good people of KH kill many Zionists in revenge for this crime.
Iraqis don’t want Iranian agents to bomb Baghdad airport. It’s really very surprising, how do they dare to protect their own interests?
soon will be business as usual – the raid has a short range effect and the KH will be in business attacking the yankeetwats on all fronts – just waiting for the bulls eye hit on the twats’ embassy in the green zone. can’t happen too sooon and once that is done a severe follow up on tel aviv telling those evil jews that the iron dome is useless and that the iron dooooooom is around the corner for the jews. can’t have anything else.
Its the duty of every Iraqi and others to combat and attack the invader wherever he is found,not collaborate with them like some Iraqis have always done,they should be treated as quislings and traitors.