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Iraq's PMU militia wants its own soccer club

The Popular Mobilization Units, an Iraqi military organization, seek to enter the world of sports by establishing a club to compete in official soccer events.

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Younis Mahmoud of Iraq's Erbil reacts during their AFC Cup soccer match against Tajikistan's FC at al-Wakra Stadium in Doha, Qatar, April 29, 2015. — REUTERS/ Fadi Al-Assaad

Expanding from the battlefield to the soccer field, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) plan to establish their own sports club to participate in local, Arab and regional tournaments.

The PMU, an umbrella organization comprising dozens of mostly Shiite militia groups, fought alongside Iraqi government forces against the Islamic State. It became involved in politics by backing some candidates in the May parliamentary elections as part of the Fatah Alliance. The PMU has close ties to Iran.

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