Iraqi forces raid Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah base, 14 arrested

Al Jazeera's sources say Iraqi forces stormed Kataib Hezbollah base to pre-empt rocket attack on US targets in Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces have raided a base belonging to a powerful Iran-backed armed group in southern Baghdad and detained at least 14 militia members, sources have told Al Jazeera.
The raid late on Thursday was the most brazen action by Iraqi forces against a major Iran-backed group in years and targeted the Kataib Hezbollah faction, which United States officials have accused of firing rockets at bases hosting US troops and other facilities in Iraq.

Al Jazeera's Simona Foltyn, reporting from Baghdad, said Iraq's elite Counter Terrorism Service seized at least 10 rockets during the operation, which was "carried out an in effort to pre-empt an impending rocket attack on the Green Zone and Baghdad International Airport, both of which house US troops".

"Subsequently, dozens of armed Kataib Hezbollah fighters arrived in the Green Zone and laid siege to one of the buildings belonging to the Counter Terrorism Service, demanding the release of the detainees, claiming they were arrested illegally without an arrest warrant," she said.

Kataib Hezbollah itself is part of Iraq's security apparatus, she noted, as the group is part of the state-funded Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a Shia paramilitary dominated by Iran-backed armed groups.

The raid was the first sign that the government of Iraq's new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, intends to make good on promises to take tough action against groups that have targeted US installations.

It took place after a number of rocket attacks near the US embassy in Baghdad and other US military sites in the country in recent weeks.

"If those detained are released, this would be a rather embarrassing to the new government," said Foltyn, "as the raid was carried out on al-Kadhimi's orders and the prime minister has made it one of his priorities to constrain the weapons in the hands of the state and to rein in groups such as Kataib Hezbollah."

Fears of escalation 

The Reuters news agency said a spokesman for the US-led coalition in Iraq and Iraqi paramilitary sources denied claims that any of those arrested had been handed over to the US military.

One government official told Reuters three commanders of Kataib Hezbollah had been detained during the raid. One of those commanders was an Iranian, he said. But a second PMF official told the agency no commanders of Kataib Hezbollah were arrested.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran especially on Iraqi soil have been high for at least a year.

It nearly spilled into regional conflict in January after the US killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.

Foltyn said Thursday's events were "very much a throwback to December 31 of last year, when Kataib Hezbollah laid siege to the US embassy inside the Green Zone after the US attacked its base on the Iraqi-Syrian border".

She added: "Those events ended up escalating, culminating in the killing of Qassem Soleimani on Iraqi soil. There is fear that events could once again escalate."

Yasmin Amin-Zaki, Iraq analyst and former chief of communications for the United Nations mission in Iraq, described the raid as an effort by al-Kadhimi to assert control over the state.
Since the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), "it's been increasingly clear that the biggest threat to the Iraqi state is these Shia militias," she told Al Jazeera from Memphis in the US.

But curbing the PMF's influence remains a huge challenge for al-Kadhimi because of Iran's support for the paramilitary force, meaning the proxy war between US and Iran was likely to continue in Iraq, said Ami-Zaki.

"What we'll likely see now is a stalemate between the two, as they continue with this proxy war. And I think it's increasingly clear now - particularly following the events of December 31 - that these two countries are not necessarily interested in going to war with one another. But they are very much interested and motivated to continue this proxy war in Iraq," she added.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/iraqi-forces-raid-iran-backed-kataib-hezbollah-base-14-arrested-200626044827368.html

Some reports indicate that Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces have arrested three commanders of the paramilitary group during the raid.

Iraqi security forces also confiscated multiple rocket launchers as reported by AFP, citing three officials. The outlet noted that this was the first raid against individuals who have been accused of carrying out anti-US rocket attacks.

"Based on intelligence information, a CTS unit raided a base used by Brigade 45, seizing three rocket launchers and arresting 13 fighters," an unnamed official said, according to AFP.

Some reports claim that the order for this attack has been issued by new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Washington has accused Kataib Hezbollah of carrying out the late December 2019 rocket attack on the K1 military base outside of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. As many as 30 rockets were launched into the military facility, and one US civilian contractor died as a result of the attack.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/160190/Iraqi-security-forces-raid-Kataib-Hezbollah-HQ-in-Baghdad

Iraqi security forces raided a headquarters belonging to the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in southern Baghdad late on Thursday, detaining dozens of its members, government officials and paramilitary sources said.

The raid was the most brazen action by Iraqi forces against a major Iran-backed militia group in years and targeted the faction, which US officials have accused of firing rockets at bases hosting US troops and other facilities in Iraq.

Iraqi government officials and paramilitary sources then gave contradicting versions of what followed.

The paramilitary sources and one government official said those detained were transferred shortly afterwards to the security branch of Iraq’s paramilitary umbrella grouping, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

A second government official denied any such transfer and said the militiamen were still in the custody of other security services. The sources gave different numbers for those detained. A PMF official said it was 19. A government official said it was 23.

Fifty-three members of the group were arrested, reported Al Arabiya television on Friday morning.

The raid was the first sign that the government of new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, intends to make good on pledges to take tough action against militia groups that have targeted US installations.

It took place after a number of rocket attacks near the US embassy in Baghdad and other US military sites in the country in recent weeks.

But the incident also highlighted how difficult it could be to take on the militias. A senior PMF official said after some negotiation, those detained were handed over to paramilitary security forces, reported Reuters.

One government official told Reuters three commanders of Kataib Hezbollah had been detained during the raid, carried out by Iraq’s elite Counter Terrorism Service. One of those commanders was an Iranian, he said.

A second PMF official said no commanders of Kataib Hezbollah were detained.

A spokesman for the US-led coalition in Iraq and Iraqi paramilitary sources denied any of those detained had been handed over to the US military, after a government official said three had been.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran especially on Iraqi soil have been high for at least a year.

It nearly spilled into regional conflict in January after the United States killed Iran’s military mastermind Qassem Soleimani and PMF deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.

Both Tehran and Washington supported Kadhimi in becoming prime minister in May.

https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2354961/iraq-security-forces-arrest-dozens-kataib-hezbollah-members-baghdad-raid

Shafaq News/ A security source told Shafaq News agency, that anti-terrorist forces raided, on midnight, a Hizbollah missiles factory, in southern Baghdad, and arrested 13 of its members.

Reuters quoted a government official saying that one of the detainees was Iranian.

Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi ‘s statements about the arrest were contradicted; a resource said, “those arrested were transferred to PMF areas”, while another denied the occurrence of any arrest.

For his side, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq denied rumors about receiving the detainees.

These updates come after missile attacks near the US embassy in Baghdad and other US military sites occurred last weeks.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran flared up particularly in Iraq for at least a year, and turned into a regional conflict in January after the United States assassinated Iran's military mastermind, Qassem Sulaimani, and one of Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi leaders, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis. With their support despite the controversy to take al-Kadhimi as prime minister in May.

https://www.shafaaq.com/en/iraq-news/dismantling-a-cell-from-a-shiite-faction-and-arresting-its-members/