ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least one Iraqi officer and several other personnel were injured in an “armed assault” at an Iraqi agriculture ministry office in western Baghdad on Sunday, Iraqi authorities confirmed, adding that more than a dozen suspects linked to the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have been arrested in connection with the attack.
In a statement, the Security Media Cell of the Joint Operations Command said that “a reprehensible incident” occurred at the ministry’s Karkh district office on Sunday morning, resulting in injuries among security forces. “Security forces were able to arrest 14 suspects” who were identified as members of the PMF’s “brigades 45 and 46,” the Cell added, noting that the suspects “have been referred to the judiciary, with legal proceedings underway.”
Brigades 45 and 46 are affiliated with the Kata’ib Hezbollah - a powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Washington holds Kata’ib Hezbollah, a key player in the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ responsible for numerous attacks on US assets in the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
In response to Sunday’s incident, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani - who also serves as commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, including the PMF - “has ordered the formation of a high-level investigative committee” to probe “how an armed force acted without official orders or approvals, attempted to seize a government building, and opened fire on security units,” the Security Media Cell added.
In a previous statement on Sunday, the Iraqi interior ministry noted that “the incident coincided with a newly appointed director beginning his duties,” adding that Iraqi federal police units and Karkh emergency patrols “quickly intervened and came under direct gunfire, resulting in several officers and personnel sustaining various injuries.”
The ministry noted that “search and pursuit operations are ongoing” to apprehend remaining suspects, affirming its strong condemnation and stressing that Iraqi forces “will not tolerate any party attempting to impose a de facto situation by force or threaten state institutions.
“Upholding the authority of the state and the rule of law remains a top and non-negotiable priority,” the ministry emphasized.
This is not the first time Kata'ib Hezbollah has been linked to clashes with Iraqi state forces. Previous incidents include a firefight with federal police in Baghdad in May 2023 and a confrontation with the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service at Camp Speicher in March 2023.
The group has also been accused of participating in the violent crackdown on the October 2019 - Tishreen Movement - pro-reform demonstrations across Iraq and of involvement in the November 2021 assassination attempt on then-prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi via a drone attack on his Green Zone residence.
The incident notably occurred shortly after clashes between security forces and supporters of Iran-backed armed groups protesting election results.
While Kata’ib Hezbollah has strongly denied involvement, the use of explosive-laden drones, a hallmark of Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups, and Kadhimi's then-perceived alignment with the US fueled widespread belief in their responsibility.
