Sadr: No Room for Militias in Iraq Anymore

Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attends a news conference in Najaf, Iraq, November 18, 2021. (Reuters)
Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attends a news conference in Najaf, Iraq, November 18, 2021. (Reuters)
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Sadr: No Room for Militias in Iraq Anymore

Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attends a news conference in Najaf, Iraq, November 18, 2021. (Reuters)
Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attends a news conference in Najaf, Iraq, November 18, 2021. (Reuters)

On the eve of the new Iraqi parliament holding its inaugural meeting, head of the Sadrist movement, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr slammed pro-Iran militias, saying there was no room left for them in the country.

In a tweet, he said: "There is no room for sectarianism or racism. There is only room for a national majoritarian government in which the Shiite will defend the rights of the minority Sunnis and Kurds."

"The Kurd will defend the rights of the minority Sunnis and Shiites and the Sunni will defend the rights of the minority Shiites and Kurds," he stressed.

Moreover, he revealed that his movement has reached an agreement with the Sunni and Kurdish forces to form the largest bloc in parliament that will allow it to form a new government at the expense of his rival fellow Shiite forces in the "Coordination Framework."

"There is no room anymore for militias, as everyone will support the army, police and security forces," Sadr announced.

"Along with the people, today we declare that we say no to subjugation," he stated. "Our decision is Iraqi, Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish, Turkmen, Christian, Feyli, Shabak, Yazidi and Sabian: This is an Iraqi mosaic that is neither eastern, nor western."

On Friday, Sadr had declared that he will go ahead to form a national majoritarian government that includes representatives of Sunni Arabs - from the Taqadum party and Azm alliance - and Kurds, represented by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, headed by Masoud Barzani.



Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
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Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)

The health ministry in the occupied West Bank said one person was killed and nine injured in an Israeli raid on a refugee camp, with the Israeli military saying Saturday it had opened fire at "terrorists".

An 18-year-old man, Muhammad Medhat Amin Amer, "was killed by bullets from the (Israeli) occupation in the Balata camp" in the territory's north, the Palestinian health ministry said in a late-night statement, adding that nine people were injured, "four of whom are in critical condition".

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, the raid began on Friday night and triggered violent clashes, AFP reported.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli troops entered the camp from the Awarta checkpoint and "deployed snipers on the rooftops of surrounding buildings".

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said that during the "counterterrorism" operation, "terrorists placed explosives in the area in order to harm (military) soldiers, hurled explosives, molotov cocktails, and rocks and shot fireworks at the forces".

"The forces fired toward the terrorists in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified," the statement said.

Violence in the West Bank has intensified since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Since then, at least 815 Palestinians have been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah.

In the same period, Palestinian attacks in the West Bank have killed at least 25 Israelis, according to official Israeli figures.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since conquering it in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.