An identical Asaib Ahl al-Haq statement appeared on the Qais al-Khazali media office (AAH — official leader office), Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) and the Asaib Ahl al-Haq channel (AAH — official armed group channel) within roughly two minutes. It offers condolences for "the martyrdom of a number of the sons of the Popular Mobilization Forces," states that "the targeting of an Iraqi security force inside Iraqi territory represents a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty" that "increases the complexity of the security and political scene at a time when the government is making strenuous efforts to entrench the authority of the state and prevent the country sliding into further escalation," and objects to "foreign states, some of which claim to be allies and others to be brothers," attacking "our security forces" without the Commander-in-Chief being left the space for legal and security measures. In the same hour Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) carried al-Safi calling for a reaction at the level of the aggression.
The divergence marks where responsibility for a response is being publicly lodged — with the state chain of command in Asaib Ahl al-Haq's text, with a matching reaction in KH's — and either faction can later cite its own words against the other's choice.