Iraq's Sadiqoun bloc demands government response to attacks on Popular Mobilization Forces

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Sadiqoun bloc in Iraq's parliament called on the government Monday to take a firm stance against attacks targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), saying such strikes constitute a direct assault on the Iraqi state and its sovereignty. In a written statement, the Kirkuk-based bloc warned that the blood of those killed in the attacks would not be reduced to a number in official statements. The bloc demanded that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and the commander of the armed forces be summoned to parliament, and that a comprehensive parliamentary investigation be opened into the circumstances of the attacks. Sadiqoun also pressed for the swift passage of service and pension laws governing the PMF and the completion of the force's institutional structuring. According to Reuters, the bloc called on the government to file an urgent complaint with the United Nations Security Council and to launch diplomatic initiatives with Arab and Islamic countries. It further requested that the U.S. and Saudi ambassadors be summoned to receive an official protest note. The statement said Iraq is not an arena for open confrontation and that its sovereignty is not open to negotiation. No further details on a planned parliamentary session were immediately available.