Gunmen believed to be belonging to Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, headed by Qais al-Khazali, took to the streets of Baghdad on Friday to protest the arrest of suspects in rocket attacks.
As the gunmen resorted to the streets of the Iraqi capital in a show of force, it was reported that the authorities released the suspects after the mediation of high-ranking figures.
Reports said that the arrests were linked to a rocket attack near Baghdad airport two months ago, which left seven members of the same family dead.
Two units of special forces were deployed near vital areas in Baghdad on Friday after cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for the announcement of a state of emergency and the deployment of the army instead of armed factions.
The head of the parliamentary security and defense committee, MP Mohammed Rida Haidar, said he backed Sadr’s call because the capital needs the army to control areas used by certain groups to target embassies in the Green Zone.
