Soldiers of Heaven | |
---|---|
جند السماء | |
Leaders | Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim † Ahmad al-Hassan |
Dates of operation | c.2003 - c.2008 |
Ideology | Millenarianism Apocalypticism Shia Jihad |
Size | 1000 |
Allies | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Opponents | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battles and wars | Iraq War |
The Soldiers of Heaven or Jund As-Samāʾ (Arabic: جند السماء) were an armed Iraqi Shi'a messianic sect known for fighting in the January 2007 Battle of Najaf against government forces and U.S. and U.K. occupying forces. Led by Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim, who was killed in the battle,[2] [3][4] the Soldiers of Heaven were accused of trying to start a "messianic insurrection" at the holy city of Najaf during the festival of Ashura.[5]
Prior to the battle, members of the sect were settled with their families at a "camp in Zarga, north of Najaf",[5] where "the main part" of the fighting took place.[5]
The group has been described as an apocalyptic Muslim cult[6] that separated from another group called the "Supporters of the Imam Mahdi" led by Ahmad al-Hassan.[5] The Soldiers of Heaven were said to believe that spreading chaos would hasten the return of the 12th Imam/Mahdi,[6][7][8] who will then rule the world, destroying tyranny and falsehood and bringing peace and justice before the Day of Judgement.
While some sources report that the Soldiers of Heaven were annihilated at the Battle of Najaf, others report that a large number were captured[9] and that there was continued activity by the sect.[10]
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