[Rudaw] Around the corner from Iraq's holiest shrines, a years-long struggle over allegiances and resources is coming to a head —threatening a dangerous schism within a powerful state-sponsored security force.
The growing fissure pits the vast Iran-aligned wing of the Hashd al-Shaabi network against four factions linked to the shrines of Iraq's twin holy cities, Karbala and Najaf.
Those factions, dubbed "the Shrine Hashd" and comprising around 20,000 active fighters, held their first strategic planning meeting earlier this month.
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