Tensions have risen in the Iraqi city of Samarra after the leadership of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) removed the city's operations commander and appointed a replacement reportedly affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a move strongly opposed by Muqtada al-Sadr's Saraya al-Salam .
The decision prompted members of Saraya al-Salam to deploy across parts of the city, raising concerns over a potential confrontation between the two rival factions and prompting intervention by senior Iraqi officials to prevent further escalation.
Samarra occupies a particularly sensitive position in Iraq due to its strategic location and the presence of the revered Al-Askari shrine, with security arrangements in the city shared among multiple armed and state-backed forces.
According to sources who spoke to The New Arab , opposition to the appointment centres not only on the removal of former commander Ali Lafta al-Shammari but also on the fact that his replacement belongs to Asaib Ahl al-Haq , the armed faction led by Qais al-Khazali.
The appointment has reignited long-standing tensions between Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Sadrist movement, whose rivalry dates back to al-Khazali's split from the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist current.
Sources said senior Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani and Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command Qais al-Muhammadawi, have intervened in an effort to halt the PMF decision and prevent tensions from escalating on the ground.
Leaders of Saraya al-Salam held a press conference in Samarra on Tuesday, announcing their "commitment to remaining in the city of Samarra in loyalty to the blood of the martyrs who defended the two holy shrines and to preserving the security and stability achieved through their sacrifices, while continuing to fulfil their duty of protecting the holy city and serving its residents and visitors".
They also rejected "any security directive aimed at changing the security reality in Samarra", insisting that Saraya al-Salam would remain in the city "to protect its residents until the security file is transferred to Iraqi security institutions".
The group's local leadership added: "We announce our complete separation from the Shia National Movement and our full alignment with the Iraqi state, but this step does not mean abandoning our beliefs.
"Rather, it represents a responsible position aimed at ensuring state stability, consolidating the rule of law, and preserving Iraq's security and unity.
The dispute carries particular significance because Samarra has witnessed complex security arrangements in recent years involving multiple factions operating under the PMF umbrella as well as state security forces. As a result, changes to the city's security leadership are rarely viewed as routine administrative decisions and are instead seen through the lens of political and factional influence.
Security affairs expert Brigadier Adnan al-Tamimi told The New Arab that the developments represented a significant test of government efforts to strengthen state authority and consolidate security stability.
"The objections accompanying the decision to change the Samarra Operations commander, and the armed deployment and show of force that followed within the city, are concerning," he said.
"Any dispute between armed formations, regardless of its causes, should remain within legal and administrative frameworks and away from any field manifestations that could be interpreted as a challenge to state authority or an attempt to impose political and security will on the ground," he added.
Al-Tamimi said Iraq was passing through a sensitive phase in which the government was seeking to strengthen security institutions and reinforce efforts to restrict the use of force to state bodies.
"Any tensions of this kind could send negative messages to public opinion and affect efforts aimed at achieving this goal," he said.
He warned that Samarra's religious and security significance meant any instability there could have consequences extending beyond the city itself.
"It is therefore necessary to contain the crisis quickly through dialogue and institutional understandings and prevent political or factional disputes from reaching the streets," he said.
Al-Tamimi added that maintaining stability required all political and armed actors to respect the decisions of official institutions and avoid actions that could fuel broader tensions.
"Any scene showing multiple centres of security decision-making or armed objections to state decisions would weaken confidence in the ability of institutions to manage the security file," he said.
Over recent years, provinces including Basra and Maysan have witnessed repeated clashes and confrontations involving supporters of the Sadrist movement and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. As a result, developments in areas where both sides hold influence are often viewed through the broader context of competition within Iraq's Shia political landscape.
Observers say the latest tensions in Samarra represent another test of the ability of Iraq's political and security institutions to contain disputes before they spill into the streets and undermine stability in one of the country's most sensitive cities. Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .