Iraqi Interior Ministry Says It Arrested al-Mashhadani’s Killers in Cooperation With PMF
Critics Question Credibility of Iraq’s al-Mashhadani Investigation as Suspected Militias Assist in Arrests
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraq’s Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday the arrest of five suspects allegedly involved in the assassination of Safa al-Mashhadani, a Sunni politician and Baghdad Provincial Council member, who was killed in an IED explosion on October 12 in the Tarmiyah district north of the capital.
In its official statement, the ministry said a special task force from its intelligence units, working “in coordination with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) security apparatus,” conducted a “precise and high-level” operation that led to the arrests, based on judicial warrants and intelligence investigations.
The statement added that the suspects are currently under judicial supervision and that further details will be released once the legal process is completed.
However, the ministry’s admission that it carried out the operation in coordination with the PMF has sparked sharp criticism and disbelief across Iraq, as the Iran-backed Shiite militias remain the main suspects in al-Mashhadani’s assassination.
Civil society groups, political observers, and independent activists have long accused the PMF of targeting reformist and Sunni figures who oppose their political and military dominance.
For many Iraqis, the Interior Ministry’s announcement has only deepened doubts about the integrity of the investigation.
Analysts and online commentators mocked what they described as a “paradoxical confession” — that the same militias suspected of orchestrating al-Mashhadani’s killing are now officially assisting in the effort to arrest his killers.
“How can the accused investigate their own crime?” one Iraqi journalist wrote on X, echoing the prevailing skepticism among the public.
Safa al-Mashhadani, a leading candidate for the upcoming November 11 parliamentary elections and a member of the al-Siyada Alliance, was assassinated when an improvised explosive device targeted his vehicle in northern Baghdad. His killing sent shockwaves through Iraq’s political arena, particularly among Sunni communities, where he was seen as a charismatic figure unafraid to challenge the influence of pro-Iran armed factions.
Al-Mashhadani’s party leader, Khamis al-Khanjar, condemned the assassination as “treacherous terrorism” and vowed that his alliance would not remain silent about the “crimes of the criminals.”
He pledged to continue al-Mashhadani’s fight against corruption and unregulated weapons in Iraq.
Observers say the Interior Ministry’s controversial statement highlights a growing problem in Iraq’s governance — the blurred lines between state institutions and powerful armed groups operating under the PMF umbrella.
Past investigations into political assassinations have often ended without accountability, leading many Iraqis to believe that justice remains selectively applied in cases involving influential militias.
As Iraq nears its November 11 parliamentary elections, the killing of Safa al-Mashhadani — and the state’s questionable handling of its aftermath — underscores the fragile balance between security, politics, and militia power in the country, raising new fears of renewed political violence and deepening sectarian mistrust.
