Iraqi federal police shut down two fake Hashd al-Shaabi headquarters south of Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Federal Police carried out a weapons regulation operation in the Buaysa farms in the Duwaireh district south of Baghdad, four security sources said. Acting on intelligence information, officers detained four suspects and seized a cache of firearms, the sources added. During the operation, security forces also shut down two facilities in the area described as fake headquarters belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi). The sources said the discovery of armed group sites in the area matched existing intelligence data. The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that 71 fake headquarters operating under the Hashd al-Shaabi name had been closed nationwide as part of efforts to bring weapons under state control. The latest operation in south Baghdad is part of that continuing campaign, according to the sources. Investigations into the detained suspects are ongoing, and no further details were immediately available.