Iraq PM, Sadr Representatives Agree on Committee to Integrate Saraya al-Salam Into State Security Forces

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met with a senior delegation from the Shiite National Movement in Baghdad on Saturday and agreed to establish a joint committee tasked with implementing an initiative by Muqtada al-Sadr to integrate the Saraya al-Salam force into Iraq’s official security institutions and transfer its weapons to the government.

The meeting, held in the Iraqi capital and attended by the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command, focused on developing what officials described as an appropriate and scientific mechanism for carrying out Sadr’s proposal, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Media Office.

The initiative calls for the incorporation of Saraya al-Salam fighters into Iraq’s security forces and the handover of all weapons held by the group to official state institutions.

To facilitate and accelerate the process, the two sides agreed to form a specialized committee responsible for overseeing the various stages of the transition, including the integration of personnel and the collection of weapons.

The committee is expected to ensure that the process is conducted in accordance with Iraqi law and the country’s military regulations.

Zaidi expressed his government’s appreciation for the initiative put forward by the leader of the Shiite National Movement, describing it as a significant national step that would contribute to strengthening the rule of law, reinforcing state institutions, and safeguarding Iraq’s national security.

He emphasized that decisions of this nature reflect a commitment to consolidating state authority and enhancing the effectiveness of Iraq’s official security forces.

The move is widely viewed as a strategic step toward placing all weapons under state control, a long-standing objective of successive Iraqi governments seeking to strengthen central authority and reduce the role of armed groups operating outside formal state structures.

The agreement comes days after Sadr announced a major restructuring of Saraya al-Salam. In a message issued on May 27, the influential Shiite cleric said that in the interest of the public good and to protect the nation from emerging threats, the force should be completely separated from the Shiite National Movement.

Sadr stated that Saraya al-Salam would thereafter become fully integrated into the state and operate under the authority of Iraq’s commander-in-chief of the armed forces, marking a potentially significant shift in the relationship between one of Iraq’s most prominent armed factions and the federal government.

The cleric further appealed for all factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to detach from political and sectarian influence and fully hand over their weapons to the state, reiterating a position he has previously advanced in past political crises.

Saraya al-Salam was formed as an armed wing aligned with al-Sadr’s movement and played a prominent role in Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State group after 2014, before gradually shifting amid evolving political arrangements in Baghdad.