Muqtada al-Sadr Orders Official Dissolution of Saraya al-Salam and Integration into Iraqi Armed Forces
On May 27, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of Iraq’s Sadrist movement, issued an order for the complete dissolution of Saraya al-Salam, the movement’s military wing. According to the order, all personnel and equipment of the group will be handed over to the Iraqi central government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
In a statement addressed to the group’s members, al-Sadr cited the national interest and the need to avert imminent threats facing Iraq as the reasons behind the decision. He emphasized that Saraya al-Salam would henceforth be completely separated from the Sadrist movement and would operate exclusively under official military institutions .
Al-Sadr also called on other armed groups—particularly those under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—to follow this approach, urging them to employ their weapons solely within the framework of the state and independent of partisan or sectarian directives .
The move was immediately welcomed by Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. The Prime Minister’s office issued a statement praising the decision as an effective step toward consolidating the rule of law, centralizing weapons in the hands of the state, and enhancing national stability and security.
Comment