Syria’s top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani issued a direct appeal Thursday to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, urging him to prevent Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) from entering the Syrian conflict.
“We urge and hope Iraqi politicians, first and foremost Mohammed Shia al-Sudani… do their duty to prevent the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi’s intervention in what is happening in Syria,” Golani said in a video statement, using the Arabic name for the PMF.
The warning comes after Reuters reported hundreds of Iraqi militia fighters had already crossed into Syria to support government forces following rebels’ capture of Aleppo last week. The PMF, which includes multiple Iran-backed factions, previously fought in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad reclaim territory lost to rebels early in the civil war.
While PMF officials deny current deployment in Syria and say they would only enter under leadership orders, Golani sought to reassure Iraq that the Syrian conflict would not spill across their border. He emphasized rebels’ desire for strategic economic and political relations with Baghdad after Assad’s removal.
