Army says Qasim Muslih, Anbar head of the Common Mobilisation Forces, has been arrested.
Iraqi safety forces have arrested senior militia commander Qasim Muslih underneath the nation’s anti-terrorism legislation, the navy stated.
Muslih was arrested early on Wednesday and is being questioned by a joint investigative committee in regards to the felony expenses towards him, a navy assertion added, with out giving additional particulars.
Two safety sources with direct information of the arrest advised Reuters information company that the militia chief was arrested in Baghdad for involvement in a number of assaults, together with latest assaults on Ain al-Assad airbase which hosts American and different worldwide forces.
Muslih is the Anbar province head of the Common Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a grouping of largely Shia militias backed by Iran, which the US regards as the largest menace to safety within the Center East.
A duplicate of the arrest warrant issued for Muslih that circulated on social media and was verified by the safety sources stated he was arrested underneath the anti-terrorism legislation, however didn’t have additional info.
The airbase was attacked at the very least 4 occasions this month with rockets and an unmanned aerial surveillance system, in incidents seen by many Iraqis as reflecting US-Iranian tensions.
However a safety supply advised the AFP information company his arrest was in reference to the killing of two civil society activists in latest weeks.
“At daybreak in Baghdad, police intelligence arrested Qasem Muslah, Common Mobilisation Forces (Hashed) operations chief for Anbar province, who gave the order to kill Ihab al-Wazni on Could 9 and one other activist Fahim al-Taie in December 2019,” the safety supply stated.
“We initially had clues in regards to the perpetrators of the murders and verification allowed us to establish with certainty the one who was behind these felony operations,” the supply added.
Anti-government campaigner Wazni was shot useless outdoors his residence by males on motorbikes utilizing a gun outfitted with a silencer early on Could 9 within the holy shrine metropolis of Karbala, sending protest motion supporters onto the streets to demand an finish to such bloodshed and official impunity.
Wazni had for a few years criticised Iraqi armed teams and Iran’s affect within the nation, main protests in Karbala, the place pro-Tehran armed teams maintain appreciable sway.
Killings, tried homicide and abductions have focused greater than 70 activists since a protest motion erupted towards authorities corruption and incompetence in 2019.
Following the arrest, unidentified gunmen drove automobiles across the fortified Inexperienced Zone, which hosts overseas embassies and authorities buildings, as a present of power, a safety supply stated. The supply, who spoke on situation of anonymity, stated the present solely lasted for half an hour after which they withdrew.
A Reuters reporter who tried to drive via the Inexperienced Zone stated safety forces didn’t permit him in and he was compelled to depart, including there was a heavy safety presence within the space.
One other Reuters reporter stated there have been dozens of PMF forces who have been accountable for one of many entrances to the Inexperienced Zone and weren’t permitting anybody in.
The Hashed had rapidly issued a press release promising Muslih “could be launched within the coming hours”.
Highly effective paramilitary teams aligned with Iran in Iraq have launched assaults towards US targets within the nation.
A lot of the incidents have precipitated no casualties, however they’ve stored up the strain on US troops and US allies within the early days of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Iraq’s authorities underneath Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has sided with the US however has discovered it onerous to convey the teams underneath management.
Final yr, Iraqi safety forces raided a stronghold of a strong Iran-backed militia in Baghdad and arrested greater than a dozen members of the group. Shortly after the arrest, unidentified gunmen drove automobiles in direction of authorities buildings within the Inexperienced Zone demanding the discharge of the militiamen.
A lot of the males have been launched inside hours.