ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The supporters and officials of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi) gathered in Baghdad on Friday to commemorate the 2019 deadly attack on members of the PMF on Syrian border.
At least 25 members of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the PMF, on December 29, 2019. Over 50 others were injured in the attack, which took place in Anbar province on Syrian border. Washington claimed that the targeted bases had been used by the militia group to plan attack on US interests in the country.
"We are standing here to honor the coffins of those heroic martyrs, in the presence of the families of the martyrs, the jihadi fighters of Hashd al-Shaabi, and the security forces," Muhannad Uqabi from PMF's War Media Team told Rudaw on Friday.
The commemoration was held in Tahrir Square, with the presence of armed members of Hashd al-Shaabi, religious figures close to the PMF, and some relatives of the victims.
"Our martyrs raised our heads high. We came here to take part in the ceremony," said Zahra Jassim, wife of one of the members of the PMF killed in the attack.
PMF, which includes Iran-aligned armed groups, was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State following a call from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The PMF has been partially integrated into the state but a recent move for full integration was retracted by the government following US pressure.
Washington has intensified pressure on Baghdad to curb Iranian influence and reduce the role of Iran-backed armed groups. The United States is reportedly urging Iraq to dissolve all armed factions, including those integrated into state structures such as the PMF.
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan on Wednesday announced that four armed militia groups have committed to restricting weapons to the hands of the government.
Days after the deadly attack in 2019, US killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qasem Soleimani and a senior PMF commander at the Baghdad International Airport.
Ziyad Ismail contributed to this article from Baghdad.