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The “freeze” in Mahdi Army activity ordered by Muqtada al-Sadr is beginning to reveal splits in the militia in some areas of Baghdad, according to IraqSlogger’s sources in the capital.
The “mainline” members of the Mahdi Army seem to be abiding by the decree issued by the young Shi'a cleric in early September to suspend activity for up to six months, in order to complete a “restructuring” of the notoriously decentralized militia, but Baghdad residents report the emergence in recent days of specialized squads, related to the militia, which have directly targeted US forces.
Slogger sources point to examples of the “regular” Mahdi Army’s stand-down in a district known as a stronghold of the militia. Last week, Iraqi forces raided the fourth sector of al-Shurta and arrested five wanted men. Eyewitnesses say that the arrest was more accurately executed than earlier operations in the area, which they say a likely indication that locals had provided the Iraqi forces with exact information.
In addition, just within the last few days, US forces began foot patrols of the Shurta area, with the support of Humvees, locals say. US forces have operated unhindered by Mahdi Army resistance or attacks in the Shurta area, residents say, as the mainline militia observes the ceasefire ordered by Muqtada al-Sadr.
Shurta and areas around it had been no-go zones for US forces and Iraqi security forces in the spring and summer. In fact, as Slogger reported earlier, Iraqi forces often only entered some of the areas in Baghdad’s southwestern quadrant in coordination with the local Mahdi Army.
However, at the same time, local sources tell IraqSlogger that small squads of Mahdi Army elements have stepped up their attacks in nearby districts.
In al-'Amil and Bayya, residents tell IraqSlogger that groups related to the Mahdi Army, but defiant of the Sadrist offices, have stepped up operations against American forces since Wednesday.
In Bayya, snipers shot at US forces, locals say. Residents could not confirm casualties of the sniping, but report that the shooters are in fact Mahdi Army elements.
Local Mahdi Army bosses loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr tell IraqSlogger that their miltiamen are still under orders to stand down, and that they are not fighting.
In discussions, some residents refer to these splinter groups as “special forces” of the Mahdi Army, to distinguish them from the miltia’s “regulars” who are abiding by Muqtada al-Sadr’s orders.
The name is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, since these are not the crack forces of the Sadrist movement, but instead operate in defiance of Sadr’s orders.
A rumor is circulating in the district that the “specials” were trained in Kermanshah, in Iran, earlier in the year, but Slogger has not been able to confirm this.
“Special” Mahdi Army elements also appeared in al-'Amil on Wednesday, clashing with US forces after a car bomb blast in the district on Saturday killed at least ten people.
Residents also report that the Mahdi Army elements outside of the control of the Sadrist organization have also shelled the US base at Baghdad International Airport with mortars.
IraqSlogger's network of Iraqi staff contributed to this report but choose to remain anonymous for security reasons.
