Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Announces Steps to Sever Ties With PMF, Place Forces Under State Authority

Peregraf — Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), led by Qais al-Khazali, announced the formation of a central committee to implement a plan to sever ties with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and place its military capabilities under the authority of the Iraqi state.

In a statement, the movement asserted that the decision was made in alignment with directives from Iraq’s top religious authority, positions adopted by the Coordination Framework (CF), and prior statements by al-Khazali regarding the consolidation of weapons under state control.

The committee, chaired by Jawad al-Talibawi, has been tasked with overseeing all procedures necessary to execute this transition.

Inventory of Personnel and Weapons

According to the statement, the committee will conduct a comprehensive inventory of all personnel, weapons, vehicles, equipment, and logistical assets.

Furthermore, the committee is mandated to establish direct command links with the Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, in his official capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The movement stated that the process would be carried out “in a manner consistent with the requirements of the state and its security institutions.”

Contextualizing the Decision

This announcement follows the declaration by Muqtada al-Sadr days earlier, in which he ordered the total separation of Saraya al-Salam from his political movement and its full integration into state security institutions.

In his address, al-Sadr stated that the move was made in the national interest and urged other PMF factions to distance themselves from partisan and sectarian agendas, eventually surrendering their weapons to the state.

Government Position on State Control

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi welcomed al-Sadr’s initiative and subsequently established a committee to oversee the integration of Saraya al-Salam into Iraq’s official security forces. He issued a broader call for all armed groups to follow a similar path.

“We call on all armed factions to follow the same responsible national path and operate under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions,” al-Zaidi stated.

These developments occur against the backdrop of a broader, ongoing debate regarding the status of armed groups operating outside of direct state control. This situation is particularly sensitive given the regional instability caused by the ongoing US-Israel War on Iran. Successive Iraqi governments have pledged to consolidate state authority; however, several major factions have historically maintained independent military and political structures.

The recent announcements by Saraya al-Salam and AAH represent significant public shifts by major factions historically linked to the PMF toward formal integration with state institutions.