ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Two Iran-backed Iraqi militias, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, confirmed their commitment to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s timeline to disarm all non-state armed groups in the country by the end of June 2027, as some other groups have announced their opposition to the proposal.

In a statement on Thursday morning, Zaidi announced a timeline set by the Iraqi government for disarming militias, with serious efforts toward the objective starting on October 1 and the process set to be completed by June 30, 2027.

In a statement, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada announced its commitment to the “contents of the speech” delivered by the premier, and the agreement concluded with Baghdad, “provided that the other party does not violate its obligations under the signed terms.”

Secretary-General of the Ansar Allah al-Awfiya Haider al-Gharawi also affirmed the group’s “commitment” to Zaidi’s plan and “the timelines agreed upon by the factions, the Coordination Framework committee, and the government regarding the full sovereignty project and the termination of military operations within Iraq.”

Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has formed a committee, in coordination with the government, to determine the appropriate mechanisms for implementing the process of restricting weapons to the state, after the ruling Shiite bloc was reportedly tasked by Tehran to negotiate on behalf of the factions with the Iraqi government to avoid escalations between the two sides

During a ceremony marking “Sovereignty Day” on Thursday evening, Zaidi welcomed the stance of the armed factions that declared their commitment to the government’s disarmament timeline, adding “we expect the same commitment from the others … reinforcing the authority and the prestige of the state.”

The remarks come a day after the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) completed its withdrawal from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, in what Baghdad has dubbed “Sovereignty Day.”

The coalition’s withdrawal was a key demand of several political forces and many Iran-backed Iraqi militias, with the armed groups saying the coalition had to leave before they could consider disarming.

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada is one of three factions that comprise the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). The group’s individual stance comes despite a statement released under IRI’s a day prior, which said that they are “not bound by any timeline or agreement” with the Iraqi government or political entities to disarm, despite the coalition’s withdrawal.

The other two IRI components, Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, have also released their own individual statements on the matter.

In a statement on Thursday, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba celebrated the coalition’s withdrawal, saying the departure of the “criminal occupier” was “to save face after being humiliated in our great Iraq by military operations,” while also demanding: “American hegemony over Iraq's economy and resources must end, their interference in political affairs must be prevented, and Iraq's airspace must be liberated from their intrusive aircraft.”

The group did not directly touch on Zaidi’s disarmament timeline, but emphasized that it will “remain a strong support and backing for our brothers and loved ones in the security forces towards an independent and prosperous Iraq that is sovereign and enjoys security and safety.”

Meanwhile, Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi stressed on Wednesday that they had not reached an understanding with Zaidi regarding the disarmament process, while noting that the existence of independent armed groups is a “positive attribute.”