Iraqi militias reassess security protocols in wake of Hezbollah pager explosions

Militias in Iraq have implemented advanced preventive strategies to thwart events similar to the explosions that occurred in Hezbollah's communications systems in Lebanon.

 A member of Hashd al-Shaabi (paramilitary forces) holds a flag of Kataib Hezbollah militia group during a protest to condemn air strikes on their bases, outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq December 31, 2019.  (photo credit: REUTERS/THAIER AL-SUDANI/FILE PHOTO)
A member of Hashd al-Shaabi (paramilitary forces) holds a flag of Kataib Hezbollah militia group during a protest to condemn air strikes on their bases, outside the main gate of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq December 31, 2019.
(photo credit: REUTERS/THAIER AL-SUDANI/FILE PHOTO)

Militias in Iraq have implemented advanced preventive strategies to thwart events similar to the explosions that occurred in Hezbollah's communications systems in Lebanon, according to Iran International.

The al-Sadr movement in Iraq, led by the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, decided to cancel a mass rally planned for Baghdad following these developments, fearing the recurrence of similar scenarios.

The al-Sadr movement is a political-social movement of great weight in Iraq, known for its extraordinary ability to mobilize masses for protest actions and demonstrations.

Khatem al-Fartosi, the official spokesman for the Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, said that "despite the substantial difference in circumstances between Iraq and Lebanon, the resistance groups will implement comprehensive and targeted precautions to prevent the recurrence of incidents of this type."

IRGC calls for increased security

Mohsen Rafighdoost, who previously served as a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War, revealed that following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, elite teams in the IRGC and the Intelligence Ministry devoted a lot of effort to developing sophisticated assassination methods through infiltration of electronic equipment.

 SHIA LEADER Muqtada al-Sadr delivers a televised speech in Najaf, Iraq, last month. (credit: ALAA AL-MARJANI/REUTERS)
SHIA LEADER Muqtada al-Sadr delivers a televised speech in Najaf, Iraq, last month. (credit: ALAA AL-MARJANI/REUTERS)

Following the explosions in Lebanon, Iran ordered Nasrallah and a number of senior Iranian officials to refrain from using mobile phones until thorough and comprehensive security checks had been completed, according to the former IRGC commander.

Al-Hadath reported on Friday that one of the senior members of the Iraqi Hezbollah battalions had been assassinated on the road leading to Damascus airport.

Media outlets affiliated with the Syrian government reported an "airstrike aimed at vehicles on the Damascus International Airport road," noting that one man was killed and another was injured.