Hashd al-Shaabi says closed 'fake' headquarters in Baghdad are not linked to the group

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said on Tuesday that the "fake" headquarters closed in Baghdad have no connection to the group, rejecting claims that the facilities' managers were affiliated with it. In a written statement, the Hashd al-Shaabi said allegations that those running the offices were members of the organization did not reflect reality. The closures and subsequent follow-up were carried out by the group's General Directorate of Security and Discipline as part of a permanent commission established by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to bring weapons under state control, the statement added. The organization said it would continue monitoring such cases and pursuing administrative and legal action against anyone who impersonates the group or uses its name in any form. Separately, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced earlier the same day that 71 fake Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters had been shut down as part of efforts to regulate weapons and consolidate them under state authority. No further details were immediately available.