A portrait of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the late deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, displayed at Baghdad International Airport.
Baghdad airport denies reports of removing Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis portrait
BAGHDAD — Baghdad International Airport on Thursday denied claims that a portrait of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the late deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, had been removed from the premises, calling the reports baseless.
“The administration of Baghdad International Airport would like to clarify to public opinion that what was circulated by some media outlets and social media platforms about removing the image of the leader of victory, martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, is completely untrue and has nothing to do with reality,” the airport said in a statement.
The denial followed social media posts claiming that al-Muhandis’s portrait had been taken down and replaced with a map of Iraq.
“We confirm that what was published is nothing more than rumors aimed at misleading public opinion,” the statement said.
The airport said it remains focused on operations and providing services to travelers.
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Shia militias integrated into Iraq’s security apparatus.
He was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad airport that also killed Iran’s Qassem Soleimani. The strike, ordered by Washington, triggered political fallout in Iraq and calls for the expulsion of U.S. forces.