Hashd al-Shaabi to establish independent air force

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militia said on Wednesday it is planning on establishing its own air force independent from the Iraqi government.

Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), in a statement released on its website, said that they want an air force department to exclusively serve their militia.

The statement added that PMO officials have been in contact with the Iraqi Air Force and its commander and have expressed their desire to establish their air force and have achieved "positive results." 

Hashd al-Shaabi said they need exclusive planes and pilots to transport the wounded fighters and serve other "fighting-related purposes" when needed.

Hashd al-Shaabi was originally established by the former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after a fatwa by Ali al-Sistani, an Iranian cleric in Iraq, following the retreat of the Iraqi army in Mosul and most Sunni-populated areas in June 2014.

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi "against any measures that could weaken the Tehran-backed Shia paramilitary groups, saying such actions would endanger Baghdad's stability,” Reuters reported.

In November 2016, the Iraqi parliament approved a law legalizing the Hashd al-Shaabi Shia militias, amid a boycott by the Sunni parliament members.

Editing by Ava Homa