Iraqi government deploys armed forces in Baghdad

The Iraqi government started to deploy its armed forces in Baghdad, in response to last week's military-type parade by Iran-affiliated fighters.

Heavily armed units of the Iraqi Army and Special Operations forces were deployed in the main squares and streets of the capital on Tuesday.

The deployment came after mask-clad militiamen, mostly from the shadowy Shiite group known as Rabaallah, drove through central Baghdad in military trucks and SUVs, airing a statement in which they denounced the U.S. occupation and threatened to cut off the ear of the country's prime minister.

Sirens blaring, they filed down a busy highway lined with shops and businesses, passed near the Interior Ministry and drove along the street leading to the entrance of heavily fortified Green Zone, home to foreign embassies and government office, as Iraqi security forces watched on.

The procession also sought to undermine Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's credibility ahead of a new round of talks between the U.S. government and Iraq, sending a stark warning that the militias will not be curbed.

A fourth round of so-called strategic Iraq-U.S. talks is scheduled for next week after the Iraqi government requested it, partly in response to pressure from Shiite political factions and militias loyal to Iran that have lobbied for the remaining U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

Rabaallah, is believed to be a front for Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-backed factions in Iraq which the U.S. blames for rocket attacks on its embassy and military bases that house U.S. troops.