ERBIL — The militia groups affiliated with the influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr were mobilized on Monday night after a statement claimed the Shia holy sites in Najaf and Karbala were under threat of an imminent attack.
Hundreds of militiamen, armed with heavy and light weapons, were deployed to Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala streets for allegedly preventing attacks.
Sadr's spokesperson Saleh Muhammad al-Iraqi said in a tweet that intelligence indicated an agreement between the outlawed Baathists and the Islamic State (IS) to target the Shia sites in different cities.
"We have received almost certain information that there is an agreement with Baathists, Daesh [Islamic State], and infiltrators to attack some holy sites in Najaf, Holy Karbala and the capital, Baghdad,” reads the statement on Twitter.
The heavy military presence of Saraya al-Salam (Peace Brigade), which is affiliated with Sadr, caused panic among Iraqis. However, many others believed the move was a counterattack on recent protests.
Last Friday, protesters took back to the streets in Najaf and chanted slogans against Sadr. “Sadr is the enemy of Allah,” some said.
Iraqis on social media widely criticized the government of Iraq, saying that in the event of any threat, the army and government’s security forces are expected to take action, not a large number of masked men who do not receive command from the state but from militia leaders.