President Salih discusses paramilitary movement in Shingal, Kirkuk with PMF leader

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi President Barham Salih met with the chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al Shaabi) Abd al-Aziz al-Mohammedawi, in Baghdad on Wednesday to discuss the movement of the forces, according to the paramilitary network. The PMF leader, also known as Abu Fadak, was placed on a terrorist list by the United States last month.

The leaders discussed the recent movement of PMF units in western Nineveh and Kirkuk, in an effort to “combat terrorism, and the coordination of security efforts.”

Muhammadawi reportedly visited both areas on Friday, according to PMF-affiliated channels on the messenger app Telegram.

“The two sides discussed border points and joint checkpoints between federal forces and the Peshmerga,” tweeted the PMF’s media directorate on Wednesday.

Three brigades of Iraq’s PMF units were deployed to Nineveh province’s region of Shingal (Sinjar) on Friday after Turkey threatened to launch a military operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the area.

The PMF is an umbrella network of mostly-Shiite paramilitary groups, established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) following a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Some Iran-backed PMF factions have been accused of human rights abuses, and regular attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad.

The US Department of Treasury on January 13th issued a wave of sanctions targeting Iranian and Iran-backed entities – designating Abu Fadak a terrorist.

Mohammedawi was appointed the PMF's chief of staff last year, replacing Abu Mahdi-Muhandis, who was killed in an American drone strike on January 3, 2020.

Salih and Muhammadawi discussed the need to prevent the Islamic State (ISIS) group from infiltrating across the Syrian border, according to the statement.

The meeting comes less than two days after 14 rockets were fired at the Kurdistan Region's capital of Erbil, killing one and injuring several others.

Militias close to Tehran often carry out attacks on US and international sites in Iraq, including the US embassy and Iraqi military bases hosting coalition troops.

A militant group by the name of Saraya Awlia al-Dam (Guardians of Blood Brigades) claimed responsibility for the attacks, but their account of the attack contradicts information provided by official security sources.

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