ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — By decree of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi the East and West Operations Command were dismantled and all Hashd al-Shaabi removed from Mosul city; however the head of the paramilitaries’ force deployments quickly denied any withdrawals on Sunday.
According to a statement issued by the deputy head of the Hashd al-Shaabi Committee, the decree also ordered the dismantling of operation commands in Baiji, location of the country’s largest oil refinery.
"Due to the normalization of security in Nineveh, it was decided for the East and West Operation Command of Nineveh and Baiji to be dismantled," the statement read, adding another "Mosul Front Command" will be established to replace it.
It added the Iraq Army's Joint Operations Command will be responsible to "take security portfolio of all the areas."
Mosul city fell to ISIS in June 2014 and after three years of continued deadly conflict, it was recaptured from the group in July 2017, five months before Abadi declared ISIS defeated in Iraq.
To rid northern Iraq of ISIS, Hashd al-Shaabi was tasked to clear western Nineveh areas of ISIS, most notably the town of Tal Afar and southern areas of Shingal.
During their campaign, they recruited locals and thus established regiments for Christians, Yezidis, Kakais, Shabaks and other minorities.
The statement ordered the withdrawal of all Hashd forces from Mosul city and the handover their bases to the Nineveh Front Command.
"The local Hashd forces such as the Hashd al-Shaabi's 30 Shabak Brigade, the Hashd al-Shaabi's 50 Christian Brigade and the Hashd al-Shaabi's 53 Turkmen Brigade as well as the Yezidi Hashd Brigade, will be incorporated into the Mosul Front Command in terms of finance and administration and they will always remain as a ready supporting force,” the statement revealed.
The withdrawal of the Hashd al-Shaabi's Brigade 40 from northern Shingal and handing it over to the Joint Operations Command.
Jawad Kazem, the head of force deployments for Hashd al-Shaabi, later denied the reports that the paramilitary units had withdrawn from Nineveh.
He called the reports "completely false" and said "there are no withdrawals from this area," according to official Hashd media.
"What is happening is the redeployment units and command in coordination with Joint Operations Command," said Kazem, claiming the province has "great security and stability" because of cooperation between local security forces and the Hashd.”
The paramilitaries’ presence in the disputed or Kurdistani areas has been a major obstacle between the Kurdistan Region’s security forces and Peshmerga’s return — from Shingal to the Nineveh Plains, Kirkuk, and Tuz Khurmatu.
The Iraqi Army, supported by Iran-backed Hashd, took control of many disputed areas in October 2016.
The Peshmerga refused a request to return to areas around Kirkuk in July, citing they would not be under the Ministry of Peshmerga’s command. Baghdad has also not allowed Asayesh (Kurdish) security to return to the disputed areas.
Abadi is the commander-in-chief of all of armed forces in Iraq. His term as prime minister was extended at the end of June, as elected Iraqi MPs try to form a new government. Abadi’s command of certain elements of the Hashd and the Federal Police has been questioned at times.
