Laith al-Jnaidi
10 June 2026•Update: 10 June 2026
Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said Wednesday that a government committee tasked with separating armed factions from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and integrating them into the country’s security institutions has received personnel records and inventoried weapons and vehicles belonging to the Imam Ali Brigades group.
In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the command said the committee continued its work in line with the government program approved by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and endorsed by parliament.
The statement said Lt. Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi, head of the committee, supervised the handover of all files and records related to personnel, weapons, equipment and vehicles previously held by the Imam Ali Brigades, in the presence of committee members and brigade leaders.
According to the command, the step is intended to pave the way for the completion of integration and restructuring efforts, including the abolition of separate organizational names and formations.
The statement said the move forms part of ongoing government efforts “to strengthen stability, reinforce the rule of law and ensure that weapons and armed formations remain under the authority of the state and official security institutions.”
The Iraqi military announced on June 3 that the committee tasked with restricting weapons to state control had begun its work.
At the time, authorities said the committee would develop mechanisms for integrating relevant formations into the security forces and oversee the transfer of weapons, equipment and military camps to Iraqi security institutions.
Officials also said the separation process from the PMF would include restructuring the formations while safeguarding the rights of their members.
Last week, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of Iraq’s most prominent and powerful Shiite political and military forces, said it will form a committee to begin disengaging from the PMF and place its weapons under state control.
The PMF is a state security umbrella organization established in 2014 following a religious decree issued by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani, to help fight the ISIS/Daesh terrorist group. The force was formally incorporated into Iraq’s armed forces in 2016.
The issue of weapons outside state control remains one of Iraq’s most significant security and political challenges, with some armed groups operating within the PMF framework and others functioning independently.
Successive Iraqi governments have pledged to strengthen state authority and place all weapons under the control of official institutions.
*Writing by Sahin Demir in Istanbul.
