Thousands of Iraqi Shia Muslims parade in show of power
Many attend the parade that shows power of Shia Muslims against the ISIL militants.
BAGHDAD
Thousands of Shia militiamen, dubbed "Peace Brigades," paraded in capital Baghdad and several other Iraqi cities Saturday to show their readiness to protect their religious sites against Sunni insurgents led by the militant Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
The show of power came after a call from Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of Shia movement, to his followers following the advance of the militant group in Iraq since June 10.
Thousands of militiamen wore uniforms and carried assault rifles during the parade, which was intended as a warning to the ISIL militants.
The parade was attended by many deputies, political parties and representatives of the non-governmental organizations across the country, and took place under high security.
Hakim al-Zamili, a lawmaker from Al Ahrar Bloc, affiliated with Al Sadr movement, told The Anadolu Agency that these brigades were formed after the call of Moqtada al-Sadr.
Al-Zamili said military parades would be staged also in Kirkuk and Diyala provinces to show presence of troops that will protect Iraqi soil against terrorist attacks by ISIL and will support security forces of the country.
Iraq has seen a marked increase in sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims in recent months, which the Iraqi government blames on ISIL.
Moqtada al-Sadr gained popularity in Iraq following the toppling of the Saddam government by the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has been active in Sadr region, Najaf and Basra since then.
Organizing thousands of his supporters into a political movement, which includes a military wing known as Mahdi Army, al-Sadr is believed to command around 60,000 fighters.
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