Iraqi soldiers were seen patrolling the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday (May 26) evening following the arrest of a senior military commanded over attacks on a base hosting U.S. forces.
Qasim Muslih was arrested at dawn and is being questioned on anti-terrorism charges, a military statement said, without giving further details.
Two security sources told Reuters the militia chief was arrested in Baghdad for involvement in several attacks including recent assaults on Ain al-Asad air base, where U.S. and other international forces are housed.
Muslih is the Anbar province head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a grouping of mostly Shi’ite militias backed by Iran, which the United States regards as the biggest threat to security in the Middle East.
The air base was attacked at least four times this month with rockets and an unmanned aerial surveillance system, in incidents seen by many Iraqis as reflecting U.S.-Iranian tensions.