ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi army on Saturday surrounded the office of Mohaimen al-Hamdani, a member of parliament from the Sunni Taqadum Party, after a confrontation allegedly involving his security guards and a local resident escalated into gunfire and an attack on a home, security officials told The New Region.

A security source said the incident began when a resident from Dibis district posted a strongly critical comment on Hamdani’s Facebook page.

According to the source, the MP then sent members of his personal security to assault the man. When the resident called for help from a nearby army patrol, a fight broke out between soldiers and the MP’s guards.

The source said an army force is now surrounding Hamdani’s office and demanding the handover of the guards involved in the altercation as well as those accused of attacking the resident.

The MP reportedly relied on a group of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters to carry out the attack. Hamdani also allegedly entered the house, assaulted the resident, and blocked the road leading to the property.

The police source claimed that Hamdani himself stormed the man’s home in the Golan area of Dibis and fired multiple rounds at the house.

A security official in the area said an Iraqi army officer tried to stop the attack, but Hamdani “slapped him” and insisted on proceeding.

After the assault, the MP gathered dozens of armed supporters and moved into the Taqadum Party headquarters, where he is currently surrounded by army units.

Hamdani won a seat in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary term after receiving 16,000 votes in the most recent elections.