Suspected clashes between rival Shiite factions erupt in Basra

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Clashes reportedly broke out between rival Shiite militia groups in Iraq’s southern city of Basra on Thursday morning, days after deadly fighting between militias of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran-backed factions in Baghdad left at least 30 people killed. 

A well-informed civil society source, who requested complete anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, told Rudaw English that Sadr-affiliated Saraya al-Salam and pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) engaged in heavy confrontations which continued from 2am to 6:30am on Thursday morning in Basra, adding that the number of casualties remains unknown.

Videos circulating on social media and various telegram channels linked to both sides purportedly showed clashes continuing on Thursday morning, despite Sadr calling on his supporters to withdraw and end the violence on Tuesday. 

Sources told Rudaw that the fighting broke out in response to the killing of a member of Saraya al-Salam outside the offices of Asaib Ahl al-Haq. 

The Iraqi Security Media Cell said “conflicting reports” have been circulated on social media regarding the incident in Basra, confirming the death of one and the injury of another, without specifying the nature of the clashes or naming any parties involved.

Security forces have arrested a number of suspects and the situation is under control, the statement added.

The source that spoke to Rudaw English claimed that the authorities in Basra represent certain political parties, and believed that there may have been attempts to “cover” the incident as to not incite further instability, particularly at a time of soaring tension. 

Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate of Sadr, later in the day “warned” Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of AAH, to restrain his “disrespectful militias” and “mad dogs.”

“If you don’t absolve yourself from the killers and criminals following you or prove that they do not belong to you then you are disrespectful too,” said Iraqi. 

Khazali responded to Iraqi’s statement, telling his supporters to refrain from negatively responding to the comments that have been made about him, and asking the AAH to close down all of their offices “until further notice.”

“Any office that they want to burn, let them burn it and do not care about that, because God will compensate you more than you would expect,” Khazali said.

Clashes between Saraya al-Salam and Iran-backed militia groups broke out on Monday after Sadr announced he was quitting politics. Heavy gunfire took place inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, with footage on social media depicting both sides using heavy machine guns. The fighting also spread to other Iraqi provinces, including Basra.  According to the latest numbers by AFP, 30 people were killed and 500 others were injured as a result of the violent clashes. 

AAH is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran. 

Saraya al-Salam was founded by Sadr himself in 2014 and considered as a revived version of Sadr’s Mahdi army, militants who fought the Americans following their invasion in 2003.

Updated at 11:34am with statements from Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi and Qais al-Khazali