ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Security forces late Tuesday arrested nine alleged members of Muqtada al-Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam armed faction, following an altercation at a gas station in the capital Baghdad.

The Iraqi interior ministry said in a statement that the suspects were involved in “assaulting” a worker at a gas station east of Baghdad, leading to exchange of fire between the militants and security forces after the gunmen resisted arrest.

“The security force moved as soon as it received a report of the incident, facing an armed resistance by the accused, which led to an exchange of fire, before the forces were able to control the situation and arrested nine of those involved without losses among the security force,” read the statement.

The ministry noted that investigations continue to uncover the circumstances of the incidents and take the necessary legal measures against the gunmen.

Formed in 2014, Saraya al-Salam is a Shiite militia group led by influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The faction is a partial revival of Sadr’s Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army), which was founded in 2003 to confront the US occupation of Iraq and disbanded in 2008. 

Earlier in January, clashes erupted in Maysan following the killing of a Saraya al-Salam official, with crowds burning the offices of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH)-affiliated provincial council head in retaliation. AAH is led by Qais al-Khazali.

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.

The US is mounting pressure on the Iraqi government to limit the expanding role of Iran and disarm Iran-backed Shiite armed groups in the country.