BAGHDAD: Influential Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Friday that only Iraq’s military should hold territory recaptured from the militant Islamic State group, an apparent sign of concern that rival militias might use the gains to expand their influence.

“It is necessary to support the Iraqi army and security forces to complete their victories in the usurped areas,” Sadr told thousands of supporters at a rally in Baghdad.

“They should be the only ones that hold ground after liberating it — no others, whether the occupier, foreign forces or others,” he said.

The ongoing US-backed offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul, IS’s last major stronghold in Iraq, involves a force of 100,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish and Shia fighters.

The Shia paramilitary groups, which include rivals of Sadr’s own militia, have played a key role in encircling the extremist group in areas around predominantly-Sunni Mosul.

There was no immediate reaction from Kurdish officials and other Shia militia leaders.

Some Sunni officials fear the Shia groups will aim to hold territory in the region as the battle against IS winds down, raising sectarian tension. Sadr’s fears are more political, analysts say — he is concerned about rival Shia militias gaining strength by taking ground in the north.

Sadr’s Saraya al-Islam, or Peace Brigades, are only deployed in and around the northern city of Samarra where the shrine of a holy Shia Imam is located.

Baghdad-based political analyst Ahmed Younis said Sadr’s speech was a clear message to Shia rivals.

“It’s quite a clear message for other Shia armed groups not to take on the role of government forces and control lands under the pretext of fighting Daesh (Islamic State). Moqtada is trying to draw a line in the sand for his rivals,” he said.

Sadr’s supporters in their tens of thousands waved Iraqi flags and chanted support for their leader as he spoke.

Sadr, whose opinion holds sway over tens of thousands of Shias, including fighters who battled US troops in 2006-7, also threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, accusing Iraq’s Election Commission of bias towards some parties.

He is calling for a new commission and a review of the current election law, saying it allows influential parties to maintain their grip on power.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017