PMF on statement of Al-Khalani massacre: ‘Our website is hacked’

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that its website had been hacked. This debunked the statement published by its press office, regarding the participation of members of the PMF members in Al-Khalani massacre in central Baghdad, which led to the death and injury of dozens of people, on Friday night.

The PMF explained in a statement that work is underway to restore the website, and the fabricated statement was deleted from the faction’s social media accounts, supervised by its press office.

On Monday night, the official website of the PMF published a statement in which it said its gunmen opened fire in Al-Khalani Square. This was in response to calls made by the demonstrators, who were attacked by saboteurs, who clashed with Saraya Al-Salam fighters, loyal to the Sadrist movement leader Muqtada Al-Sadr.

According to the statement, which was later denied, “masked individuals were planning to provoke the demonstrators and prevent them from approaching the Sinak Garage (near Al-Khalani Square). Thus, several peaceful demonstrators were attacked with knives, sharp weapons, and Molotov cocktails to burn the place. Also, 23 others were kidnapped.

The statement added: “After several individuals, present in the area, asked the security forces and the PMF fighters for help, the PMF affiliates responded to the call due to the absence of security forces and the state authorities. However, heavy gunfire was opened towards the demonstrators and the PMF fighters, leading to the fall of several victims. Hence, the situation developed into clashes between both sides to save the kidnapped demonstrators and those trapped inside the Sinak Garage.”

Read: Over 2,600 protesters freed in Iraq

The statement continued: “By then the saboteurs transported the kidnapped protesters to the Turkish Restaurant (Tahrir Square), while the PMF elements were busy rescuing the trapped demonstrators in the Sinak Garage. The situation was further complicated due to the heavy presence of Saraya Al-Salam and the blue helmets, which were partially armed, and the absence of coordination, leading everyone to engage in the clashes and causing casualties on both sides.”

The statement indicated: “Later, the security forces and the PMF leaders intervened through communicating with all parties and holding a meeting between the leaders of the Saraya Al-Salam, the National Security and the Baghdad Operational Command, which ended with an agreement to withdraw the Saraya Al-Salam elements and the forces, which intervened to save the kidnapped demonstrators.”

The PMF asserted: “The vandal and groups behind them have hijacked the peaceful demonstrations, menaced the lives of peaceful protesters, and became in front of the demonstrators’ legitimate demands.”

The PMF, officially named as a government force, is formed mostly of Shiite armed factions. However, observers believe that this faction does not obey the orders of the government, but rather comply with the commandments of its leaders, some of whom have close links with Iran.

Masked gunmen in civilian four-wheel-drive vehicles stormed Friday night Al-Khalani Square in central Baghdad and began firing live ammunition indiscriminately at the demonstrators there, killing 25 people and wounding 120 others, reported the Anadolu Agency, quoting medical, security sources and eyewitnesses.

Read: UN urges justice over deadly attack in Iraq

Activists present in the demonstration accused the pro-Iran PMF factions of being behind the attack.

The incident came in conjunction with the imposition of sanctions against three leaders of the pro-Iran PMF factions by the US administration, including Qais Al-Khazali, leader of “Asaib Ahl Al-Haq”.

Since the start of the protests in Iraq, at the beginning of last October, 485 people have been killed and more than 17.000 wounded, according to statistics prepared by the Anadolu Agency based on official figures released by United Nations Commission on Human Rights, based on parliamentary, medical and security sources.

The vast majority of the victims are among the protesters, who have fallen during the confrontations with security forces and the pro-Iran PMF gunmen, according to protesters and international human rights reports. However, the PMF denied having any role in killing the protesters.

Despite the resignation of the government of Abdul-Mahdi, once a major popular demand, the demonstrations are still continuing, as protesters called for the departure of the Iraqi political elite, who ruled the country since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, and who is accused of corruption and wasting state funds.