PMF Chief Rejects Calls to Hand Weapons Over to Iraqi State
Popular Mobilization Forces commander Abdul Aziz al-Mohammadawi ruled out surrendering the weapons of what he described as the "resistance front."
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abdul Aziz al-Mohammadawi, widely known as Abu Fadak, has rejected calls for the armed factions of the "resistance front" to surrender their weapons to the Iraqi state, marking the latest challenge to Baghdad's ongoing efforts to place all arms under government control.
In a video circulated from the funeral ceremony of PMF members killed in the recent US-Saudi airstrikes, al-Mohammadawi declared that the weapons of the resistance would "never" be handed over to the state.
Responding to a question from an attendee about disarmament, he said: "Who would take these weapons? Who is capable of taking them?"
His remarks came one day after joint US-Saudi airstrikes targeted PMF positions on Wednesday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US and Saudi warplanes carried out precision strikes against what it described as PMF weapons depots and logistical support facilities in several areas of eastern Iraq.
The PMF, however, said the joint strikes targeted its bases across several Iraqi provinces, killing at least 20 of its members and wounding another 32.
Al-Mohammadawi's comments come as the Iraqi government continues pursuing a policy of consolidating all weapons under state authority.
On June 3, the Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi met delegations from Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali as part of efforts to restructure relations between the state and armed groups.
Following those meetings, Baghdad established a joint committee tasked with developing mechanisms to separate the two groups from the PMF structure and advance the government's policy of restricting weapons to official state institutions. The initiative was presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen state authority in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution and applicable laws.
The Iraqi government has also faced sustained US pressure to ensure that PMF factions and other armed groups surrender their weapons and dissolve their military structures.
According to the information provided, Saraya al-Salam, Kataib al-Imam Ali and the Badr Organization have already handed their weapons over to the state, while other factions have rejected disarmament.
Al-Mohammadawi's remarks underscore the continuing divisions over Iraq's disarmament efforts, highlighting the challenges facing Baghdad as it seeks to centralize military authority while some armed factions remain opposed to relinquishing their weapons.