Iraq's Asaib Ahl al-Haq to Surrender Weapons, Join State Forces

(MENAFN) One of Iraq's most powerful Shiite armed factions announced Tuesday it is moving to formally dissolve its independent military structure, pledging to place its weapons under state authority and begin a structured withdrawal from the Popular Mobilization Forces — a significant shift in the country's fractured security landscape.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq said it will establish a dedicated committee to oversee the transition, tasking it with executing every logistical and administrative element of the disengagement process.

The committee will be responsible for "completing all requirements and procedures related to implementing this decision, including inventorying all personnel, weapons, vehicles, equipment, and logistical means, and linking up with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in line with state requirements and its security institutions," the movement said in a statement.

The body will operate under the leadership of Jawad al-Talibawi, supported by members Rafid Saleh Ali, Abdullah Shaker Kamel, and Ali Hamza Kadhim.

Founded in 2006 as an armed splinter faction of the Sadrist movement's Mahdi Army, Asaib Ahl al-Haq has grown into one of Iraq's most influential Shiite political and military forces under the command of Qais al-Khazali.

The announcement makes Asaib Ahl al-Haq the second major faction to commit to state integration, following Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's earlier dissolution of his "Peace Brigades" and their formal alignment with official state institutions — a move that drew a public welcome from Prime Minister Ali al-Zayadi.

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