Iraqi Security forces have launched a series of preemptive operations targeting Iran-backed armed groups’ headquarters in recent days, a senior Iraqi security official told MBN, marking the most sweeping effort yet to bring militias under state control.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said security agencies seized hundreds of drones and arrested members of several groups over the past week. The operations took place in Babil, Baghdad and other southern provinces. Surveillance of militia headquarters — particularly those belonging to factions refusing to surrender their weapons — continues.
The official said the campaign follows orders from Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi to take a firm stance toward all armed groups. The Iraqi government has set a deadline of September 30 for all militias to hand in their weapons to the state. He added that the Popular Mobilization Forces are cooperating with security agencies by reporting the locations of militia headquarters that refuse to comply.
In one of the most significant operations, a joint force from the Counterterrorism Service and the Intelligence Department arrested a three-member cell last Friday in Babil province, south of Baghdad.
The raid uncovered advanced drones that the group was preparing to use in attacks outside Iraq. The cell was also in direct contact with Iranian figures responsible for developing and carrying out drone attacks, according to the security official.
The account aligns with the official government narrative. Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said the arrested cell consisted of three people affiliated with armed factions, and authorities seized advanced drones being prepared for attacks outside Iraq. He said the cell was linked to Iranian figures responsible for drone strikes. The operation resulted from a joint security and intelligence effort that foiled the attack in its planning stages, he added.
The operation comes at a particularly sensitive time for the region. Iraqi authorities announced Friday that they were raising the country’s security alert and combat readiness levels and ordered intensified searches of civilian and military vehicles at checkpoints.
Iran-backed factions in Iraq targeted oil facilities in Saudi Arabia last month, prompting Riyadh, in cooperation with the United States, to launch airstrikes on their positions in Iraq.
Iraq’s judiciary will take a tough approach toward anyone holding unauthorized weapons, Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari told MBN. Al-Askari pointed to Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan’s stance that all activity outside state authority is considered terrorism.
Al-Askari said the issue of unauthorized weapons has narrowed and is no longer as serious as a threat as it was months ago due to changing regional and domestic conditions. He added that the armed groups no longer have open supporters because their goals conflict with the constitution and government agenda. Arguments for delaying the handover — such as waiting until the September 30 deadline or citing foreign military bases in the north — belong in the diplomatic sphere, not the realm of security, he said.
At the institutional level, the Interior Ministry announced Monday that it had shut down 71 fake headquarters falsely claiming affiliation with the Popular Mobilization Forces. It also disclosed for the first time the existence of a national database containing information on roughly six million weapons across the country.
Maj. Gen. Miqdad Miri, head of the ministry’s media and communications department, said at a news conference that authorities closed 119 weapons shops this year for regulation violations or expired licenses. Authorities also seized 49 drones, and Miri warned that any drone used outside official frameworks will be treated as a terrorist threat.
The developments come just weeks before the September 30 deadline to bring all weapons under state control. This effort unfolds amid U.S. pressure linking disarmament to Iraq’s post-withdrawal era—following the departure of U.S. military forces—and the future prospects for foreign investment.
Several prominent factions have responded to calls to surrender their weapons. Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, both designated as terrorist organizations by the United States, announced within a week that they would end their affiliation with the PMF. A similar announcement was made by the Sadrist movement.
Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, both also designated by the U.S. as terrorist organizations, have continued to reject demands to surrender their weapons.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, recently reiterated his refusal to hand over the group’s weapons and said it would continue working to develop its arsenal. Sources said the remaining factions had proposed freezing their weapons for two years until the outcome of the U.S.-Iran conflict becomes clearer. The government rejected the proposal and said that it remained committed to the September 30 deadline.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
