Al-Sadr announces the split of the "Peace Brigades" from the Shiite movement in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi today welcomed what he called the "responsible national position" of the leader of the national Shiite movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, when he announced hours ago the separation of the "Peace Brigades" from the movement and the joining of its members to the Iraqi state.

He called on the rest of the Popular Mobilization Forces to work under the authority of the Iraqi state,  saying that "this initiative represents an important step towards strengthening internal stability, consolidating the principle of limiting weapons to the hands of the state, and supporting the security agencies in carrying out their national and constitutional duties."

Since taking office in mid-May, al-Zaidi has vowed to keep weapons in the hands of the Iraqi state, at a time when the United States is increasingly pressuring Iraq to control the weapons of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which it classifies as "terrorist" and pro-Iranian.

Al-Sadr announces the split of the "Peace Brigades" from the Shiite movement

  The leader of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr,  announced on Wednesday that the military formations affiliated with him, "Peace Factions", have been completely separated from the "National Shiite Movement", and that they will be fully annexed to the state and the military formations affiliated with the official authorities.

Al-Sadr said in a statement, through his official accounts, that the decision comes "based on the national interest and in order to avoid the dangers facing the country," stressing that the civilian bodies affiliated with the Peace Brigades will turn into "solid structures, without any headquarters, weapons or other organizational addresses."

At the same time, he called on all PMF formations to separate from "partisan and sectarian orders" and hand over their weapons to the state, he said.

Al-Sadr's decision today includes stripping the civilian entities associated with the Peace Brigades of weapons, headquarters and independent uniforms, and turning them into a service and social project called "Al-Bunyan al-Marsous", as part of an announced transition from military work to organized civilian work.

What is Saraya al-Salam?

Saraya al-Salam is an armed ideological organization in Iraq that was established in 2014 as a military wing of the Sadrist movement, currently known as the Shiite National Movement, under the leadership of Muqtada al-Sadr, which  was established in June 2014 following  the control of the Islamic State in Mosul and large areas of the country, and its formation came as an extended extension of the legacy of the "Mahdi Army" with a clear defensive mission represented in protecting mosques and religious shrines, especially in Samarra, in addition to supporting the security forces in the face of terrorism.

The brigades were later merged into the Popular Mobilization Forces, represented by the 313th, 314th, and 315th Brigades, while Abu Mustafa al-Hamidawi assumed the general field command of the faction, and its military weight was stationed in Salah al-Din province, especially the Samarra district, with a presence and influence in Baghdad and some southern provinces.