Faction denies MP’s claim that it has begun handing over weapons

BAGHDAD — Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada has denied a lawmaker’s claim that it inventoried heavy weapons, missiles, drones and air defence systems and transferred some to Popular Mobilization Forces warehouses, calling the account “completely and categorically untrue.”

The claim came from Ali Nuhair, a member of parliament’s Security and Defence Committee from Shibl al-Zaidi’s bloc, who said his bloc had reviewed documents showing the inventory and handover. “Today, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, led by Abu Alaa al-Walaei, has joined them. Heavy weapons and drones have been inventoried, and there are documents proving the inventory and handover of those weapons to the Popular Mobilization Forces,” he said in a televised interview, adding that the group had “handed over some of their weapons.”

The group’s Jihad Council rejected it. “We affirm to the public that what was stated in those remarks is completely and categorically untrue,” it said. “The aforementioned MP does not represent any party authorized to speak on behalf of the brigades and has no authority to issue positions or statements in their name. There are loyal resistance fighters within our ranks, and they alone have the right to speak about our victorious brigades.”

Whether any weapons have physically moved has been unclear throughout. The spokesperson for the commander-in-chief said last week that several factions had already handed over weapons “of all kinds,” without naming them or giving quantities. Nuhair named them: the process began four months ago with Saraya al-Salam, followed by Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib al-Imam Ali and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya. He said the weapons that must be brought under control are “drones, missiles and heavy anti-aircraft weapons, which pose a threat to air navigation.”

He also set out three negotiating tracks that have not been described together before: a government track led by security adviser Qasim al-Araji, a parliamentary track led by First Deputy Speaker Adnan Faihan, and the Coordination Framework committee.

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada said in late August it would engage only if 10 conditions were met, including full American and Turkish withdrawal, federal control of the Kurdistan Region’s border crossings and the removal of the PKK and Iranian opposition groups from Iraqi territory. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in Washington in July that there would be no justification for armed factions after Sept. 30, when the coalition leaves. Araji has since said the date marks the start of talks rather than a deadline, Nouri al-Maliki said this month that disarmament was no longer the term being used, and Harakat al-Nujaba said the Coordination Framework had dropped the call to restrict weapons to the state in favour of regulating them.