ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Clashes erupted overnight into Saturday in Maysan following the killing of a Saraya al-Salam, led by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, official, with crowds burning the offices of the Iran-backed Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH)-affiliated provincial council head in retaliation.

AAH, led by Qais al-Khazali, is a US-designated terrorist armed group due to its deep alliance with Iran and its involvement in attacking US personnel in Iraq on multiple occasions. 

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on and killed Hussein al-Alaq of Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam militia in Maysan province on Friday before fleeing, a security source told The New Region.

“The recklessness of the shameless militias, after their submission, has reached the point of spilling Iraqi blood without any deterrent or mercy, especially in the dear province of Maysan,” Sadr said, calling for an investigation into the killing. 

“Therefore, any escalation or movement is forbidden except for a legal and disciplined legal and tribal path. Otherwise, you will be helping them in their corruption and their strife,” he stressed.

The deceased Alaq was reportedly accused of involvment in the killings of AAH officials in Maysan in October 2019.

The incident comes after Sadr halted his militia's activities in Basra and Maysan less than a month ago.

A local security source told The New Region that “the incident caused chaos during the night,” which saw armed gatherings and shooting in the sky.

People loyal to the deceased set fire to the office of Maysan Provincial Council head Mustafa Adair al-Muhammadawi, who is an AAH member, the source added.

“The forces are working to restore calm and contain the repercussions of the incident to ensure that it does not escalate into larger conflicts,” said Hussein al-Maryani, a member of the Maysan Provincial Council.

Sadr has called for limiting weapons to the state, although he has founded multiple armed factions operating outside of state control himself, including the Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army), which was founded in 2003 to confront the US occupation of Iraq and disbanded in 2008. 

The group was partially revived under the name Saraya al-Salam in 2014, which Sadr continues to lead to this day.

The United States is mounting pressure on the Iraqi government to limit the expanding role of Iran-backed Shiite armed groups in the country. Washington is reportedly pushing Baghdad to dissolve all armed factions, including the state-integrated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

In late November, US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya highlighted the need for the Iraqi government to bring weapons under state control and ensure state institutions are protected.

Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, two US-designated Iran-backed Iraqi militias, rebuffed the disarmament calls last month, saying they maintain the right to “resistance” as long as there are foreign forces present in the country.

Illegal weapons in Iraq stand out as one of the most pressing challenges to security and stability. Unofficial data puts the number of arms within Iraqi society at around 15 million medium and light weapons, with armed groups and tribes possessing the bulk of them.