(JP) – A commander of a group within the Iranian-backed Shi’ite Popular Mobilization Forces militia tweeted that Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s claim that Israel was behind recent attacks on PMF positions was a “green light to retaliate against Israel.” According to the Iranian Press TV, Abu Ala al-Walai, the commander of the Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada group within the PMF, tweeted the statement after Abdul-Mahdi told Al Jazeera that “investigations into the targeting of some Popular Mobilization Forces positions indicate that Israel carried it out.” Ahmed al-Maksousi, second in command in the
group, told al-Arabu al-Jadeed that he called on the Iraqi government to go through diplomatic channels by submitting complaints to the United Nations, adding that different factions will meet in the next few days in Baghdad. Al-Maksousi stressed that “all options are open, especially since we reserve the right to respond and the Zionist entity is not far from the range of fire.” Hamid al-Jazairi, the deputy secretary-general of the Khorasani Brigades stated that they would have a position on the matter and pointed out that the “resistance factions” aren’t just present in Iran, but also in Syria and Lebanon. He added that “the response to Israel doesn’t have to be from Iraqi territory.” READ MORE
