On the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Al-Quds Force Commander, Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani, and the Deputy Head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, and their companions, the Presidency of the Republic of Iraq recalled the "brave stand" of the two martyrs, Al-Muhandis and Soleimani, during the difficult circumstances, "and their response, since the very first hours, to the most brutal attack carried out by ISIS with its malicious plans."

The Iraqi Presidency continued, in a statement, that the Iraqis, with the "solid will and valor of the armed forces from the Army, the police, the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Peshmerga, and counter-terrorism units... managed to defeat terrorism and ISIS and protect the region and the world from its evils."

It stressed "the need for national unity and solidarity to preserve societal peace... in fulfillment of the blood that was shed to protect the country, its sovereignty, and dignity... an independent, stable, secure and sovereign Iraq represents the interest of the Iraqi people and the entire region that has been exhausted by conflicts."

The Presidency of the Republic said that "the people and countries of the region still face great common challenges, which require work to defuse existing crises, prevent escalation, reduce tensions, and triumph over the language of dialogue and convergence."

PMF will remain the legacy of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis

For its part, the Islamic Dawa Party in Iraq stated that their "pure blood will continue to run in the veins of the freedom-fighters and the free people in the Resistance that will continue to reject all forms of oppression, occupation, and terrorism and that will plant dedication to defend the faith and the people, regardless of their religion, sect, and nationality."