Kataib Hezbollah denies role in Baghdad shootout, blames 'foreign plot'
Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful faction within Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), denied any involvement in Sunday's deadly clashes in Baghdad's al-Dora district, rejecting claims by Iraq's Joint Operations Command that its fighters were responsible for storming a government building and confronting security forces.
In a statement, the group described the incident as 'regrettable' and blamed the violence on a dispute between security units under the Commander-in-Chief's authority. It said the confrontation stemmed from a standoff between supporters of an outgoing agriculture official and those of a newly appointed director, which escalated after 'a rash and unjustified' decision by an officer identified as Omar al-Obaidi to open fire.
Kataib Hezbollah claimed that the gunfire led to casualties, prompting those under attack to call for help. According to the group, a team of supporters from a nearby location near al-Saqr military base responded without official coordination to evacuate the wounded, but were met with 'indiscriminate fire' from government forces.
The group further accused security units of detaining and publicly displaying photos of individuals who had no connection to the original incident. 'These scenes lacked all sense of responsibility,' the statement said, crediting intervention by lawmakers and members of the parliamentary security committee for defusing the crisis.
Kataib Hezbollah asserted it was not a party to the clash and warned that 'this escalation serves only the enemies of Iraq.' It blamed 'malicious agendas,' external actors, and foreign influence—explicitly naming the US embassy—for attempting to sow discord among Iraq's armed institutions.
Reiterating its stance, the group said, 'We remain committed to our firm position of ending the foreign occupation of Iraq, regardless of the cost.'
The group also expressed regret over the loss of life, attributing the fallout to 'confusion and coordination failures' among government forces—failures it claimed were exploited by foreign elements embedded within Iraq's joint operations framework.
https://t.co/f8iIWoiYir (https://t.co/Sntl9kYeSl) #قناة_النجباء_الفضائية pic.twitter.com/fJ3KMVX8ZN
— قناة النجباء الفضائية (@NujabaTv) July 28, 2025
The denial comes in direct contradiction to official statements issued yesterday by Iraq's Joint Operations Command and the Interior Ministry. Authorities said that fighters from PMF Brigades 45 and 46—both affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah— raided a Ministry of Agriculture office in al-Dora and engaged in a gunfight with state security personnel.
Earlier today, the US Embassy in Baghdad directly blamed Kataib Hezbollah for the deadly shootout, calling on the Iraqi government to take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay.
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