"Bring Perpetrators to Justice": U.S. Urges Iraq After July 27 Baghdad Violence

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United States has strongly condemned a deadly clash in Baghdad and explicitly called on the Iraqi government to bring the perpetrators and leaders of Kata’ib Hizballah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), to justice "without delay." The statement follows a brazen daylight gun battle on Sunday at a government building that left two people dead and nine injured, prompting Iraq's Ministry of Interior to arrest 14 suspects and vow to uphold the "authority of the state."

In a statement issued on its official X account, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad directly addressed the violence. “We offer our condolences to the families of the victims who were killed by Kata’ib Hizballah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization within the Popular Mobilization Forces, on July 27 at a Ministry of Agriculture department in Baghdad,” the embassy said. “We are saddened by the loss of life, which included federal police and an innocent civilian, and wish a swift recovery to the wounded.”

The embassy's message concluded with a direct appeal for action: “We call on the Government of Iraq to take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay. Accountability is essential to upholding the rule of law and preventing further acts of violence.”

We offer our condolences to the families of the victims who were killed by Kata’ib Hizballah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization within the Popular Mobilization Forces, on July 27 at a Ministry of Agriculture department in Baghdad. We are saddened by the loss of life, which…

— U.S. Embassy Baghdad (@USEmbBaghdad) July 28, 2025

The "serious incident," as described by Iraq's Ministry of Interior, occurred Sunday morning at a department of the Ministry of Agriculture in Baghdad's Karkh district. According to the ministry's statement, the chaos erupted when "an armed group stormed the department building during an administrative meeting" as a new director was assuming his duties, causing panic among employees.

When Federal Police and rescue patrols arrived at the scene after being called for help, they "came under direct fire from the armed men." A source in the Baghdad police, speaking to Kurdistan24, identified the armed group as members of the Hashd al-Shaabi and confirmed the other party was the Federal Police. The police source stated the clash was over agricultural land. The initial skirmish left nine security personnel injured, with the casualty count later rising to two dead.

In response, the Ministry of Interior issued two strongly worded statements, declaring that the "authority of the state and the rule of law" is a "red line" that will be defended. The ministry confirmed that the number of arrested suspects had risen to 14 and that "intensive security operations continue in the area... to track down the remaining perpetrators." It stressed that security agencies "will not be lenient with any party that attempts to impose a fait accompli by force or threaten state institutions."

This violent confrontation is not an isolated event but part of a recurring pattern of state-funded armed groups challenging state security forces. A previous clash was reported in Karbala, where militants from the Jund al-Imam group, another PMF faction, opened fire on an Iraqi army unit following an argument before a special force intervened and made arrests.

These incidents occur as the Hashd al-Shaabi continues to receive substantial financial backing from the Iraqi state. According to figures provided, the 2024 Iraqi budget allocated over 3.8 trillion dinars for PMF salaries, an increase of nearly 400 billion dinars from the previous year. In 2023, an additional 564 billion dinars were allocated for the purchase of new weapons and systems for the PMF.