Attack on Saraya al-Salam Headquarters Disrupts Security Calm in Diyala

14th November 2024

3 minutes read

Attack on Saraya al-Salam Headquarters Disrupts Security Calm in Diyala

A source close to the Sadrist movement considers the attack an attempt to destabilize Diyala’s security, attributing it to exclusionary decisions made by rival parties and political blocs vying for power and positions.

On Thursday morning, a headquarters belonging to Saraya al-Salam, the military wing of the Sadrist movement in Diyala province, was attacked with a short-range rocket, injuring two Saraya members. This unprecedented attack has disrupted the region’s security and warns of possible future disturbances.

No party claimed responsibility for this attack, which followed two recent statements from the Sadrist leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, advocating for stricter weapon control and disowning any member involved in attacks against Iraqis.

Last month, al-Sadr warned he would expel “any member who uses arms against Iraqis,” after an attack targeted the home of the Friday Imam of Najaf, Sadr al-Din al-Qabanchi, injuring one of his guards. Security sources speaking to local media provided no information on the attackers’ identities or motives.

In a post on Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi’s account on X, a close associate of al-Sadr, he declared that “anyone who uses arms in Iraq against Iraqis is using a bullet against me, and I disown him until Judgment Day; he is expelled from the al-Sadr family and the national Shiite movement.”

In September, al-Sadr ordered Tahseen al-Hamaydawi, the head of Saraya al-Salam, to expel the “Azharis” formation from Saraya and cut ties with them.

Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi, known as “al-Sadr‘s minister,” posted on social media quoting al-Sadr: “Brother Tahseen al-Hamaydawi must expel all members of the brazen militia (Azharis) from Saraya al-Salam,” adding, “The national Shiite movement should also boycott them and report them to the authorities for their disgraceful actions disturbing national security.”

This statement from al-Sadr is perceived as a warning to factions within the Sadrist movement or to entities that may have infiltrated it, aiming to cause chaos by using arms in political conflicts.

It remains unclear if Thursday’s attack originated from within the Sadrist movement or from rival groups, such as Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, a former Sadrist leader and now a fierce competitor.

Local media outlets, including Iraq’s Kurdish ‘Shafaq News’ agency and ‘Baghdad Today,’ reported that the Saraya al-Salam headquarters was targeted at around 2 a.m. by a close-range rocket, with Saraya fighters responding by firing randomly in Kanaan, east of Baqubah.

Burhan al-Maamouri, a parliamentarian close to the Sadrist movement, condemned the attack, calling it “cowardly” and confirming that several Saraya members were injured. He said the attack “falls within attempts to destabilize Diyala’s security, which has been undermined by poorly planned exclusionary decisions taken by rival parties seeking power.”

He added that “Diyala, a province with a rich social diversity and national fabric, hosting all ethnicities and sects, must be shielded from disruptions caused by political leaders competing for positions.” He urged local authorities to “move quickly to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

Al-Sadr formed Saraya al-Salam in 2014 to counter the threat from ISIS, which had overrun multiple cities and threatened Shiite holy sites. The group played a role in the political struggle during elections and before the formation of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government, notably inciting the storming of Parliament and a sit-in, which risked igniting an internal Shiite conflict.

The Sadrist movement has seen many factions break away, including armed groups and prominent figures such as former Deputy Prime Minister Baha al-Araji and Qais al-Khazali, the former head of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.

Efforts to purge Saraya al-Salam of unruly members have continued, including the expulsion of a member in Basra province.

In March 2023, the Sadrist leader ordered the suspension of Saraya al-Salam’s operations in Diyala following a series of violent incidents that resulted in multiple deaths, citing the presence of infiltrators.