CAMP ASHRAF, Iraq — At their victory rally, the Shiite militiamen used poetry, song and swagger to sweeten their celebration of an ugly battle.
More than a hundred fighters from the militia, the Badr Organization, had been killed in the farms and villages of Diyala Province in recent fighting against the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State. During the battle, thousands of residents had been forced from their homes — including Sunni families who accused Shiite paramilitary groups like Badr of forced displacement and summary executions.
But the militias had pushed the Islamic State back from key areas in a crucial battle. So on Monday, the Badr Organization convened in a mosque at Camp Ashraf, its base in Diyala, to celebrate its “liberation” of the province — and to serve notice that it was the vanguard force battling the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
Speaking at the rally, to an audience that included giddy fighters barely past their teens, the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Ameri, boasted of the towns his men and allied militias had set free. “These were big operations that others must learn lessons from,” he said.
IRAQ
IRAQ
DETAIL
–
The fighters proudly showed off the Sudour irrigation dam, which the Sunni extremists had taken over, causing water shortages in the region. The water was flowing again, and a bridge over the dam that was damaged had been temporarily repaired, allowing passage over the waterway.
The Badr Organization’s signs were freshly planted along the roads of Muqdadiya District, in a show of authority.
Things appeared to be slowly returning to normal even in villages like Al Aqoud, where a battle between the militias and militants had left stores burned and some homes in rubble.
One shopkeeper, Hafiz Hussein, said that some of the residents, especially Sunni neighbors, were frightened by the Shiite militias and had fled. He said he hoped they would return.
For many who had stayed, the militias had brought only relief. “Daesh was like hell,” he said.
Falih Hassan contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on February 8, 2015, on page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Shiite Militia Drives Back Islamic State, but Divides Much of Iraq . Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
