The Za’afaraniya area, southeast of the capital Baghdad, witnessed armed clashes and intense gunfire in the early hours of Monday, amidst conflicting information about the incident’s causes.
Video clips circulated on social media showed intense clashes and continuous gunfire, with local sources stating that it was between the Federal Police and armed groups operating outside the law or armed factions.
Information regarding injuries among security forces varied, with no official statement issued by the security authorities regarding the incident so far.
Meanwhile, media outlets reported that “the clashes erupted between an armed group suspected to be affiliated with the (Saraya al-Salam) faction, associated with the Sadrist movement, and a force from the Iraqi police.”
They indicated that “the clashes in Za’afaraniya lasted for more than two hours, involving the use of machine guns and personal firearms, with several Iraqi police personnel injured and transported to the hospital for treatment.”
