IRGC commander arrives in Baghdad amid disarmament of pro-Iran groups

Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, has arrived in Baghdad as Iraq begins disarming pro-Iranian groups, Al Arabiya reports citing sources.

The report said Qaani has held meetings with leaders of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, armed groups and representatives of Iraq’s Coordination Office.

The talks focused primarily on control over weapons.

The visit comes as armed groups have begun handing over their weapons to the Iraqi state.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi previously set September 30 as the deadline for completing the process.

Iraqi authorities have stressed that any armed activity outside state institutions will be suppressed in accordance with the country’s counterterrorism law.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov