BAGHDAD -- The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced July 18 new sanctions on four Iraqi citizens, including Rayan al-Kildani, head of the Christian minority's Babylonian Brigades, and Waad Qado, head of the Shabak minority's Brigade 30 -- two influential armed factions in the Ninevah Plains. They were sanctioned after being implicated in human rights violations, according to the US Treasury statement.

In related context, the Chaldean Catholic Church announced its refusal of the presence of any armed Christian faction and voiced support for the Iraqi government's decision to restructure the work of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) and reorganize them. On July 1, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi issued the decision, which consisted of 10 points underlining the need to end the armed presence and link the PMU directly to the general commander of armed forces.

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