BAGHDAD
Prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has said speculation over the purported death of a former Saddam-era leader could “politicize” the struggle against Daesh.
Sadr also used a statement Tuesday to claim that neighboring Arab countries were planning an "intervention" in Iraq.
Several Arab states have joined a U.S.-led coalition to combat Daesh in northern Syria and Iraq, while Saudi Arabia recently deployed its military against Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Sadr said that the announcement of the death of former Iraqi vice president Izzet Ibrahim al-Douri earlier this month "aims to politicize the sacred struggle of jihad."
Reports suggest Douri was killed on April 17 by security forces in Saladin province. However, Iraqi authorities have yet to verify if the body which was taken to Baghdad for DNA tests belongs to him.
Sadr has now claimed that the al-Hashid al-Shaabi Shiite militia -- an anti-Daesh force -- now faces many political challenges between its members, causing a lack of unity.
The leading cleric -- who formed the Mahdi Army militia group in April 2003 -- also called for the expulsion of al-Hashid al-Shaabi members "who want to politicize jihad and victories to use them for a certain party like what happened in the death claim of Izzet al-Douri."
Al-Hashid al-Shaabi was established after a fatwa, or religious ruling, by Iranian-born Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in June 2014. Its purported role was to fight against the Sunni Muslim Daesh group in support of Iraqi Shiite forces.
Sadr also said: "There are plans for an Arabic intervention in the region and that should be prevented by rushing to liberate Anbar province and Mosul.
"Hence, we refuse any foreign intervention and I call upon the government not to depend on the American side to end terrorism in Iraq."
The Iraqi Ministry of Health said Tuesday that DNA tests from what is believed to be Douri’s body have finished but that samples from his relatives are required for verification.
Douri was the second-highest figure in Saddam Hussein’s regime and had been wanted by the U.S.
