“Victory Speech of Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis”

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate (O you who believe, if you support God, He will support you and make your steps firm.)

On the first anniversary of the declaration of victory over ISIS, it is necessary to extend congratulations and blessings to all Iraqis on this great day—the day when the will of Iraq and its people triumphed over ISIS and all its regional and international supporters.

Thanks first go to the issuer of the blessed fatwa, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, to the great religious authorities, and to the honorable seminary, which had the merit of unleashing the nation’s immense energies.

Foremost gratitude is owed to those who gave us everything—the noble martyrs, the wounded, and the disabled, who were at the forefront of jihad, sacrifice, and martyrdom, and to their patient, steadfast, and selfless families: mothers, wives, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters.

To my brothers and sons in the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), you who achieved victory alongside your brothers in our valiant army, the federal police, the Rapid Response Division, the Counter-Terrorism Forces, and the supporting security services—I say to you: you are the true owners of victory. With your effort, blood, and sacrifices, you achieved what no one could have imagined.

Thanks also go to the builders and supporters of the PMF: the heroic resistance factions, the holy shrines, the parties and groups that contributed to building the PMF formations.

Gratitude and appreciation are extended to all supporters: the noble tribes, the Hussaini processions and organizations, journalists, doctors and medical staff, artists and intellectuals, teachers and students of schools and universities, civil society organizations, and all segments of Iraqi society who contributed with rare generosity. You are all partners in this victory.

Thanks to the successive governments, with their ministries, bodies, and central and local institutions, which played a supportive role in the battle. Thanks also to the Iraqi parliament in its two terms and to the judiciary.

Out of loyalty, we recall the great support provided by the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah.

We have closed the chapter of ISIS militarily and preserved the unity of Iraq—its people and land. As we speak of victory, we in the PMF and in the rest of our armed forces have not and will not overlook the security threat posed by ISIS and its backers.

We still hold the frontlines and borders, monitor the enemy’s movements daily everywhere, and since the declaration of victory last year, we have carried out limited security and military operations to confront ISIS remnants and prevent them from harming our people across Iraq.

During the military operations, and increasingly after the victory, we worked to return our displaced people to their cities and homes, providing as much security as possible and assisting in delivering services in cooperation with local state departments.

Today, the PMF authority is engaged in reorganization, focusing on training, removing offices and camps from cities, and striving to build regular camps for its formations and departments. A significant portion of the PMF’s engineering capabilities has been dedicated since last year to providing services in Mosul, Basra, and other cities.

We work diligently and continuously to spread military, financial, and administrative discipline within the PMF formations and among its members, in line with the high status the PMF holds in the hearts of citizens.

We are always keen that the PMF, with all its formations and members, remain under the law and under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

We have worked and to work to strengthen cohesion between the PMF and the rest of the armed forces and security services, for this is the secret of victory. The coming days will witness important steps in this direction, including the payment of fighters’ salaries through electronic bank cards.