ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kataib Hezbollah said Sunday that internal and external forces pressured the committee investigating the attack on an agriculture ministry department in Baghdad’s Karkh area. The group said this pressure assists its enemies and repeated its demand for US-led coalition forces to leave Iraq by September.

An armed group stormed an agriculture ministry department in Baghdad late July upon the appointment of a new manager for the department. At least one police officer and one civilian were killed in the attack, in addition to several officers and personnel injured during the confrontations.

An investigative committee commissioned by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani announced its findings on Saturday, saying that the attack was carried out by forces that “belong to the Kataib Hezbollah formation.”

In a statement, Kataib Hezbollah responded to the investigation and to comments made by the British ambassador about the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The group called again for the removal of “occupation forces” and for their members to refuse to participate in joint military operations by September 2025.

The group said they initially agreed with leaders from the Coordination Framework to form a neutral committee to make sure the investigation is fair, though lamenting alleged pressure levied against the body, commenting, “How can the enemy be the judge?”

The statement noted that the first person killed by heavy and random shooting was a fighter from the PMF, and that a civilian and a Federal Police officer also died.

Based on the investigation, Sudani approved several actions: removing the commanders of PMF brigades 45 and 46, creating a special team to check the leader of PMF’s Jazira Operations for poor leadership, sending all involved people to court with full evidence, and holding responsible those who delayed legal and security actions.

Last Friday, British Ambassador Irfan Siddiq said in a TV interview that the PMF is no longer needed after the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS).

“There is now a decision from the [Iraqi] government that the [coalition's] mission has ended... and that there is no need for its continuation. If there is no need for the coalition, what is the need for the PMF in the same picture?” said the diplomat during the interview.

Kataib Hezbollah responded by saying, “Our group has been defending Iraq’s freedom and honor since the US occupied the country, and also fought Daesh [ISIS] when it attacked our land. We lost more than four thousand martyrs and wounded protecting our people, holy places, and land.”

They said the US and its allies have tried for years to damage the group's reputation, but the fact that domestic groups believe the accusations is all the more egregious.

The Kataib Hezbollah statement said the ambassador’s words and enemy plans are now being carried out by some Iraqis and local pressure. It highlighted what it deemed to be external pressure on the investigation committee as an example.

The group said it will keep asking for the withdrawal of international forces by September 2025. They said emotional reactions will not stop them as long as blood is still being spilled.