TEHRAN – Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Commander Farih al-Fayad praised Iran as a brotherly nation that has always stood in solidarity with the Iraqi people.
“Iran, a friendly and brotherly country, has always stood by the Iraqi people,” al-Fayad said in a meeting with Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Ladan, commander of Iran’s law enforcement forces.
The two sides also discussed ways to expand security and border cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The Popular Mobilization Forces have become an essential component of Iraq’s national security apparatus since they played a pivotal role in defeating the Daesh terrorist organization and liberating northern and western Iraq from 2014 to 2017.
The Iraqi PMU commander further emphasized the importance of deepening security and law enforcement cooperation, especially in border areas, and stressed the need for joint coordination and information exchange between the two countries.
General Ladan expressed his appreciation for the PMU’s efforts in ensuring security during the Alba’in Hajj, noting that Iranian and Iraqi security forces, including the PMU, had achieved remarkable coordination this year in organizing the event.
“Our law enforcement forces and the Iraqi security forces, especially the Popular Mobilization Forces, maintained excellent cooperation in organizing the Arbaeen pilgrimage,” Ladan said.
More than 21.1 million Muslim believers gathered in the holy city of Karbala for this year’s Arbain pilgrimage, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings. The Secretariat of the Holy Shrine of Abbas ibn Ali (AS) accurately reported the number of pilgrims as 21,103,524.
Arbaeen marks the 40th day since the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and his faithful companions. For more than 13 centuries, Karbala has served as the spiritual epicenter for millions of people, often traveling on foot, to honor the enduring legacy and sacrifice of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).