Al-Sarkhi’s offices set on fire, al-Sistani followers targeted Baghdad – Jaafar Nassrawi Two offices of Shiite religious leader Mahmoud al-Hassani al-Sarkhi  in Diwaniya and Basra were set ablaze by unknown militias, while the homes of Grand Ayatollah Ali-al-Sistani’s followers were targeted in Diwaniya, Thi Qar, and Hilla by home-made bombs, causing no casualties. The attacks provoked denunciation by religious heads in Najaf, who considered such actions attempts to undermine their roles in the Iraqi society.
Al-Sarkhi’s office has denied, Saturday, responsibility for targeting residents of al-Sistani’s followers, whereas a police source in Diwaniya told  Arabstoday on Sunday that unknown groups set on fire al-Sarkhi’s office, 20 km south Diwaniya, central Iraq.
Meanwhile in Basra, south Iraq, a mosque under construction, built by al-Sarkhi’s followers, was set on fire.  A police source in Babel stated that security sources thwarted an attempt to bomb the residence of a follower of religious leader Ali al-Sistani in south Hilla.
“Babel police were able to dismantle an explosive device on Saturday, planted near the residence of Iyad al-Sharifi,  a follower of Ali al-Sistani,  in Akramin neighbourhood, central Hilla, without causing any damage,” the source told Arabstoday.
Several residences of supporters and followers of Ali al-Sistani were targeted with home-made bombs and explosive devices, by unknown attackers, during the past few hours in Thi Qar and Diwaniya. The attacks did not result in any casualties.
For their part, Shiite supreme religious heads in Najaf denounced these attacks, considering them attempts to undermine their roles. They called on security forces to protect their followers and supporters, as well as Iraqi people in general.
Sheikh Ali Najafi, son of religious leader Bashir Najafi, told Arabstoday that targetting followers of Grand Ayatollahs “is an attempt to undermine their roles in Iraq”, describing such actions as “unacceptable.”
“It is not the first time religious heads and their followers have been subjected to attacks,” he added, saying that their role is to “establish and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood.”
Najafi indicated that there would be no charges addressed against any party before investigations are concluded, accusing “enemies of the Iraqi people” of incitement and causing political and security instability.
Meanwhile, spokesman of al-Sarkhi’s office in Najaf, Abu Manhal al-Khazaei, said in a statement to Aswat al-Iraq “we deny news accusing followers of leader Mahmoud al-Hassani al-Sarkhi of targettng al-Sistani’s followers in Thi Qar and Diwaniya.”
“These reports are untrue and they aim to sow sedition among the same religious sect,” he added.
He indicated that al-Sarkhi is targeted by some parties due to his hard-line views toward the previous presence of US troops and the current existence of security partnerships.