TENSIONS in the Middle East keep on rising as Kataib Sayyid Al Shuhada – one of the oldest factions in Iraq backed by Iran – insisted once again that American forces should leave the country.
A spokesman for the group said they reject the presence of American forces in Iraq and are working to remove them through operations launched by their faction.
The militia joined the Popular Mobilisation Forces in 2014 – a coalition of mostly Iraqi groups backed by Iran formed to fight ISIS.
The Iran-backed militia rarely attacked American forces in Iraq but skirmishes between the two opposing parties became more frequent in recent months as talks to remove U.S. troops from the country encountered political deadlock.
In April, American forces were targeted at a base in northern and Western Iraq.
This was followed by the militia targeting popular U.S. brands in Iraq such as KFC and other American restaurant franchises more than a week ago.
Students in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad were also seen protesting in front of the American restaurant franchise last month.
The Iraqi government and U.S. forces are still negotiating a timeline on when to remove American troops stationed in the country.
