Shafaq News..Al-Khanjar turns down Kataib Hezbollah invite to Jurf Al-Sakhar
2026-08-29T20:54:24+00:00
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Sovereignty Alliance
(Al-Siyada) leader Khamis Al-Khanjar on Saturday rejected Kataib Hezbollah’s
invitation to visit Jurf Al-Sakhar, arguing that the district “does not belong
to any faction or armed group” and demanding that its displaced residents be allowed
to return.
“The people of Jurf Al-Sakhar
are the owners of the land and homes, and they have the greatest right to
receive guests on their property, not those who displaced them and took control
of it,” Al-Khanjar’s spokesperson said. He urged authorities to reopen the
district, compensate affected families, and disclose the fate of missing
residents, dismissing “political and media displays” while its population
remains unable to go home.
Earlier Saturday, Kataib
Hezbollah invited Al-Khanjar to visit Jurf Al-Sakhar, which the group refers to
as Madinat Al-Nasr, offering to cover his travel expenses and provide
protection for the trip.
Located about 60 kilometers
southwest of Baghdad, Jurf Al-Sakhar remains one of Iraq’s most sensitive
post-ISIS areas. More than 100,000 residents have been unable to return since
the district was retaken from ISIS in 2014, while Popular Mobilization Forces
(PMF) factions retain control over parts of the territory. Sunni leaders,
including Al-Khanjar, have repeatedly pressed for their return.
A federal committee is
examining disputed land contracts and local conditions this month as Baghdad
revisits the longstanding displacement issue.