US blames Kataib Hezbollah for Baghdad shootout
The US Embassy in Baghdad has directly blamed Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful faction within Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), for a deadly shootout that erupted Sunday at a Ministry of Agriculture office in the capital's southern al-Dora district.
On X, the embassy offered condolences to the families of those killed—identified as a federal police officer and a civilian—while blaming Kataib Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization, for the attack.
'We call on the Iraqi government to take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay,' the embassy said, stressing that accountability is critical to upholding the rule of law and preventing future violence.
نُقدم تعازينا لعوائل الضحايا الذين قُتلوا على يد "كتائب حزب الله"، وهي منظمة إرهابية مصنفة من قبل الولايات المتحدة وتندرج ضمن قوات الحشد الشعبي، وذلك في 27 تموز/يوليو في إحدى دوائر وزارة الزراعة في بغداد. نشعر بالحزن لفقدان الأرواح، والذي شمل عنصر من الشرطة الاتحادية ومدني بريء،…
— U.S. Embassy Baghdad (@USEmbBaghdad) July 28, 2025
Responding to the fallout, the PMF Commission—responsible for overseeing the network of brigades under its command—issued a statement on Sunday pledging full cooperation with the investigation. It emphasized that the PMF operates under state authority and would not shield any member acting outside legal bounds.
'The PMF was established to serve the Iraqi nation in coordination with official security institutions,' the statement read. 'Any deviation from this mandate is a violation of both law and principle.'
A Kataib Hezbollah member speaking to AFP said the group did not seek to escalate the situation and would defer to Iraq's judiciary.
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