BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – Iraqi resistance factions on Saturday reiterated their rejection of a U.S.-backed plan to disarm non-state armed groups, as recent terrorist attacks in Kirkuk underscored the ongoing need for resistance forces to maintain national security.
The warnings come as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government pushes forward with efforts to bring all weapons under state control ahead of a September 30 deadline that also marks the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Security forces in Kirkuk province remained on high alert for a third consecutive day following a terrorist attack targeting a Hashd al-Shaabi position in the Al-Toun Kufri district. Joint security forces have been conducting search operations across three agricultural areas adjacent to the district as part of ongoing investigations to identify those responsible. A central investigation committee is reviewing closed-circuit television footage and other intelligence to track down the perpetrators.
The attack, which occurred earlier this week, resulted in the death of a Hashd al-Shaabi member and wounded another. It follows other recent security incidents in the province, including joint operations that killed three terrorists and destroyed two hideouts in airstrikes in Kirkuk.
Resistance leaders have pointed to these attacks as evidence that the security environment remains volatile. Salam Hussein, a leader of the Badr Organization, has stressed that resistance groups will not relinquish their weapons as long as American forces remain on Iraqi soil, saying that surrendering arms while U.S. troops are still deployed entails “a grave risk”.
Senior Kata’ib Hezbollah leader Sheikh Abu Talib al-Saaidi has also affirmed the group’s unwillingness to lay down arms, questioning the government’s ability to enforce disarmament when it struggles with basic governance issues. 
Meanwhile, Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of al-Nujaba, has threatened direct confrontation with any remaining U.S. troops after the September 30 deadline.
The Iraqi government has established a committee responsible for regulating weapons under state control, but numerous resistance factions, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, have committed to maintaining their “resistance weapons”. 
Some groups, including Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, have set conditions for any disarmament agreement, including the complete withdrawal of U.S. and Turkish forces from Iraq.
On the political front, Prime Minister al-Zaidi met with Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, on Saturday to discuss political and security developments. The Coordination Framework also decided against reactivating deputy prime minister posts for now, citing financial pressures and religious advice.