Tension grips Iraq's Babylon province after Sadrist activist assassinated by pro-Iran militia

A tense situation has emerged in the central Babylon province of Iraq following the reported killing of a leader in the Sadrist Movement, which prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr leads. The incident is attributed to a pro-Iran Iraqi militia.

On Monday, Iraqi security units found the body of Aisar Al-Khafaji, a leader in the Sadrist Movement, hours after he was kidnapped by militants, reportedly affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia headed by Shia cleric Qais al-Khazali.  

An investigation into the incident has been launched. The Sadrist Movement responded by deploying its members in various areas of the province amid concerns about deteriorating security following the incident. The prominent member of the Sadrist Movement, Aisar Al-Khafaji, was kidnapped and then killed days after the appointment of Adnan Fihan, a leader in the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, as governor of Babylon.

"Four-wheel-drive vehicles without license plates ran over Aisar Al-Khafaji on Sunday afternoon in Al-Musayyib town, south of the province. He was then kidnapped and taken to an unknown location," officials in the local police department in Babylon province told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic language sister publication. "An investigation into the incident has been opened and search operations conducted, but without results so far," they added. 

"Security forces found Al-Khafaji's body early Monday morning, shot multiple times, with signs of torture, including broken legs and arms. Investigations are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators amid security tensions, fearing any reactions from the Sadrist Movement to the kidnapping and assassination," an official noted.

Another official pointed out that "the headquarters of Saraya al-Salam, the armed wing of the Sadrist Movement, in Babylon province is on high alert, with the overall commander of Saraya al-Salam, Tahsin al-Hamidawi, and several leaders of the armed group present, and various security forces deployed in several streets of the province ready for any emergency that may occur in the coming hours."

Iraqi social media activists on the X platform have cautioned that the Al-Khafaji tribe and Saraya al-Salam militia have given a deadline of 24 hours to the Iraqi security forces as well as the local government in Babylon to arrest the perpetrators; otherwise, they will storm all headquarters of Asaib Ahl al-Haq and other pro-Iran parties and militias in the province.

The recent killing follows another incident which occurred on Sunday with the killing of Sabry al-Amiri, the brother-in-law of Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the pro-Iran Badr organisation, and another aid in the Al-Rashidiya area of Baghdad. 

Followers of the Sadrist movement have set a 24 hour deadline for Babil governor Adnan Feyhan to find those involved in the killing of Sadrist activist Aysar al-Khafaji, vowing escalation if deadline is not met. #TheNewRegion #Iraq pic.twitter.com/FflG8yRL0I

— The New Region (@thenewregion) February 19, 2024

Meanwhile, Iraqi affairs researcher Maher Jouda told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that "Babylon province may be on the verge of serious security developments following the assassination of a prominent member of the Sadrist Movement, especially as this event coincides with the formation of the local government led by one of the leaders of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq movement."

"The assassination of Al-Khafaji may destabilise the security and political conditions in Babylon province. Therefore, everyone should work to calm the situation and prevent any developments that may provoke any strife. It is also necessary to expedite the investigation, uncover the perpetrators, and reveal the motives behind the crime, whether criminal or politically motivated," Jouda said. 

Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) is a significant Iraqi armed group aligned with Iran's "axis of resistance". It originated as a faction of Muqtada al-Sadr's "Jaish al-Mahdi" militia, splitting off in 2005-2006 with backing from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and Lebanese Hezbollah. In 2014, Asaib Ahl al-Haq entered parliament through its al-Sadiqoun bloc, securing one seat, and increased its representation to fifteen seats in the 2018 election. Operating within the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), AAH expanded into a more significant state-funded armed force comprising three brigades.