Iraqi lawmakers have slammed the US’ blacklisting of a number of the country’s anti-terrorism commanders amid reports of a drone strike that hit somewhere near the residence of an influential anti-American Iraqi leader.
Iraq’s Baghdad al-Youm website reported that Iraqi lawmakers have denounced Washington’s Friday move to impose sanctions targeting leaders of Iraq’s Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kata’ib Hezbollah groups which operate as part of the country’s Popular Mobilization Units.
The Hikma bloc of the Iraqi parliament, lead by top Iraqi cleric Ammar al-Hakim, issued a statement decrying the measure as an instance of “blatant meddling in Iraq’s affairs.”
“We regard these measures as a clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” the statement read.
Mohammad al-Rabiei, spokesperson for the al-Sadiqoun parliamentary bloc affiliated with Iraq’s Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, decried the measure as being illegitimate and useless.
“Die of you anger [against us], for we lead the resistance against occupation, Takfiri terrorism, separatism and ambitions,” he said, adding that his groups stand “against the hegemonic plans of the US”.
Also on Friday, Iraq’s al-Sumeria television reported that Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, a figure affiliated with Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said that a drone hit the al-Hannanah neighborhood in which the residence of Sadr in the city of Najaf is located.
The report did not further elaborate on the source of the attack or possible casualties.
The strike comes as reports have alleged that US forces and Israeli-operated drones have targeted Iraqi forces, specifically Iraq’s PMU forces, on numerous occasions.
Source: Press TV
