Iraq’s PM orders crackdown following attack on Syrians

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered security forces on Wednesday to pursue members of an armed faction who appeared in a video assaulting Syrian workers, accusing them of supporting Syria’s new administration led by Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief, said in a statement that “a video circulating on social media shows a masked group from a faction calling itself ‘Ya Ali Popular Formations’ carrying out reprehensible acts of violence against Syrian workers in Iraq.”

He added that the prime minister had “immediately directed the formation of a specialized security team to pursue those responsible for these acts, which are entirely contrary to Iraqi values and morals.”

“We strongly condemn this criminal act, which violates all human and moral values and constitutes a blatant infringement on human dignity and rights—regardless of nationality or affiliation,” al-Numan said, emphasizing the strong ties between the Iraqi and Syrian peoples.

He stressed that the law would be fully enforced against anyone found responsible for the attacks.

Iraqi security forces have recently begun monitoring social media accounts and have arrested Syrians accused of promoting terrorism, amid a surge in violence along Syria’s coastal region.

Security sources said authorities had also issued directives to scrutinize the records of all Syrians in Iraq, particularly those with expired residency permits.