Sudani shakes up power balance within PMF leadership

The infamous head of the Popular Mobilization Forces' (PMF) internal security, Abu Zainab Al-Lami, whose real name is Husayn Falih Al-Lami, has been removed from his post but remains a key figure within the organization.

PMF Commission chairman Falih Al-Fayyadh issued the decision yesterday to remove Lami from the Security and Discipline Directorate. His deputy, Ali Al-Zaidi, will take over. The decision will have no doubt come from PM Sudani himself and represents a significant shift in the balance of power within the PMF leadership.

Lami has been given the position of deputy chief of staff of the PMF, working alongside its head, Abu Fadak Al-Muhammadawi. Lami was previously a member of Kataib Hezbollah and currently holds the rank of staff lieutenant general after attending military college in Egypt a few years ago. In 2019, he was sanctioned by the United States for his alleged role in issuing orders to use lethal force against anti-government protesters during the Tishreen demonstrations.