SOURCE: Iraq absorbs 20,000 fighters into PMF

Shafaq News/ Nearly 20,000 members of armed factions have been integrated into Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other security institutions, an informed source revealed on Monday.

“Faction leaders agreed to fold their fighters into the PMF structure and instructed them to update voter registrations ahead of the upcoming elections,” the source told Shafaq News, adding that integration numbers are expected to rise further.

“The newly absorbed forces have been redeployed around Baghdad’s belt areas to bolster security, drawing on combat experience gained during the fight against ISIS since 2014.”

Sources earlier confirmed that integration efforts, delayed by political and logistical challenges, would resume after the Eid al-Fitr holiday. A government official said that ideological differences remain a hurdle, with some factions loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and adhering to the principle of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).

In January, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani reiterated his government’s commitment to regulating armed groups within formal state institutions, emphasizing a national rebuilding effort rooted in Iraq’s Arab civilizational heritage.

Observers view the integration as a strategic move to shield these factions from potential military action by the United States and its allies.