“„[An] observer… tells IraqSlogger that in general, it is relatively low-level soldiers who have been apprehended in recent raids targeting the Mahdi Army in the area, adding that higher-ranking members of the militia seem to possess identification that allows them to travel freely through the capital.
“„Around the city, high-ranking Mahdi Army members have shaved their beards and changed their hair or dress styles to avoid detection, abandoning the signature black shirts and and beards of the militia.