No end to the militias in Iraq
Every once in a while a new militia emerges in Iraq, increasing the chance of instability in the country.
Baghdad — On July 31, violent clashes broke out between two factions of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in al-Iskan, west of Baghdad, killing one and injuring 13 from both factions. The violence erupted after armed forces from a new militia called Jaish al-Mou’mal arrived in an area dominated by the Peace Brigades, which is affiliated with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
“I, Sa’ad Swar, have not defected. Like my reference and leader [Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, Muqtada al-Sadr's father], I was created to serve as a burning candle. So may the ignorant ones be quiet,” Swar wrote on his Facebook page June 12 after announcing the formation of Jaish al-Mou’mal in Iraq and Syria.
Jaish al-Mou’mal is the latest faction to split from the ranks of the Sadrist movement.
Quick overview of the defections
