Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada Rejects Disarming Amid Government Push for State Control

Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada has declared it will not surrender its weapons to the Iraqi government, asserting that the 'arms of the resistance' must remain to counter security threats to the country. Spokesperson Kazim al-Farhuti stated that while the group supports Prime Minister Ali Fadel al-Zaydi, its position on disarmament remains unchanged, emphasizing that the possession of weapons is tied to national security rather than personal interest. The announcement comes as the government accelerates its program to bring all armed factions under state control, following the decision by Muhtar al-Sadr to place the Saraya al-Salam units of the Fatah Movement under state command. Meanwhile, the Nujaiba Movement argued that government efforts to organize armed groups should only target 'uncontrolled weapons,' maintaining that the arms of the resistance fall outside the scope of these measures.