Shia Islamist paramilitary group in Iraq
Kata'ib Hezbollah (Arabic : كتائب حزب الله , lit. 'Battalions of the Party of God'),[ 39] also known as the Hezbollah Brigades , is a radical Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group which is a part of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), staffing the 45th, 46th, and 47th Brigades.[ 40] During the Iraq War (2003–11), the group fought against Coalition forces .[ 39] [ 41] It has been active in the War in Iraq (2013–2017) [ 42] and the Syrian Civil War .[ 43] The group was commanded by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis [ 44] until he was killed in a US drone attack in 2020.[ 45] Thereafter, Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak) became the new leader of the PMF.[ 46] The group seeks to establish an Iran-aligned government in Iraq, expel American forces from the country, and advance the regional and international interests of Iran in Iraq and the region. The group is responsible for killing hundreds of U.S. soldiers and takes a central part in carrying out attacks against U.S. targets in Iraq and acts as part of the Axis of Resistance .[ 47] [ 48] Kata'ib Hezbollah has received extensive training, funding, logistic support, weapons, and intelligence from the IRGC 's elite Quds Force .[ 49]
Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) is officially listed as a terrorist organization by the governments of Japan,[ 38] United Arab Emirates, and the United States. KH is an official part of Iraq's security apparatus.[ 49]
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^ Yuhas, Alan (3 January 2020). "Airstrike That Killed Suleimani Also Killed Powerful Iraqi Militia Leader" . The New York Times .
^ "Iran-backed Iraqi militias step up threat of violence against US forces in Iraq" . Middle East Institute .
^ "Kata'ib Hezbollah" . Counter Extremism Project . Retrieved 11 May 2024 .
^ Hummel, Kristina (22 October 2020). "Back into the Shadows? The Future of Kata'ib Hezbollah and Iran's Other Proxies in Iraq" . Combating Terrorism Center at West Point . Retrieved 11 May 2024 .
^ "Iran-backed groups urge complete US withdrawal from Iraq" . The National . 6 February 2018.
^ "Part 2: Pro-Iran Militias in Iraq" . Wilson Center . 27 April 2018.
^ Group Profile Kata'ib Hezbollah (page 7) Archived 3 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine , 5 March 2010
^ Ryan, Missy; Morris, Loveday (27 December 2014). "The U.S. and Iran are aligned in Iraq against the Islamic State – for now" . The Washington Post . Retrieved 3 January 2015 .
^ Leith Fadel (19 October 2015). "Two Brigades of Kata'eb Hezbollah Arrive in Aleppo Amid the Presence of General Suleimani" . Al-Masdar News . Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2015 .
^ "News Article" . css.ethz.ch .
^ a b c "FSI | CISAC | MAPPINGMILITANTS CISAC – MMP: Kata'ib Hezbollah" . cisac.fsi.stanford.edu .
^ "Archived copy" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2018 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )
^ "لواءُ عليٍّ الأكبرِ يعلنُ تحريرَ ثلاثةِ مواقعَ مهمّةٍ بقضاءِ بلدٍ فيْ صلاحِ الدّينِ" . العتبة الحسينية المقدسة .
^ "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking Islamic State siege of Iraqi town" . Long War Journal . 10 September 2014.
^ "Syrian government, Iraqi reinforcements reach southeast Damascus for upcoming offensive" . 15 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2018 .
^ " 'سرايا الأشتر'.. تنظيم شيعي مسلح يهدد البحرين" . بوابة الحركات الاسلامية .
^ "New Options for Iraq's Axis of Resistance Players (Part 2): Opening the Jordan Front | The Washington Institute" . www.washingtoninstitute.org . Retrieved 4 April 2024 .
^ Iraq after America: Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance.
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^ "Iran Is Using The Same Dangerously Effective Strategy in Iraq As It Used in Syria" . Business Insider .
^ Publisher, Al-Maalomah. "كتائب حزب الله تُفشل خطط البيشمركة وتمنع اعتداءاتها وتصد تقدمها باتجاه الحشد في الطوز – وكالة المعلومة" . almaalomah.com . Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2018 .
^ "Kata'ib Hezbollah | Mapping Militant Organizations" . web.stanford.edu .
^ "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking ISIL siege of Iraqi town" . Long War Journal . 10 September 2014.
^ a b Roggio, Bill (10 September 2014). "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking Islamic State siege of Iraqi town" . Long War Journal . Retrieved 30 September 2014 .
^ Morris, Loveday (29 October 2014). "Iraq's victory over militants in Sunni town underlines challenges government faces" . The Washington Post . Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Loveday Morris in Thuluyah for the Washington Post (23 September 2014). "The Iraqi town where former foes are combining to fight Islamic State" . The Guardian . Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Roggio, Bill; Weiss, Caleb (19 October 2015). "Iraqi Army, Shiite militias report success in Baiji" . Long War Journal . Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ "Kataib Hezbollah to announce the full control of Baiji in a few hours" . 19 June 2015.
^ Alice Fordham (7 April 2015). "After Retaking Iraqi City, Shiite Militias Accused of Targeting Sunnis : Parallels" . NPR . Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Alessandria Masi (15 February 2015). "Islamic State: Iraq Battle Against ISIS For Tikrit Led By Iran-Backed Shiite Militia Forces" . International Business Times . Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (17 November 2018). "Kata'ib Hezbollah's Syrian Wing: Interview" . Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi .
^ Leith Fadel (19 October 2015). "Two Brigades of Kata'eb Hezbollah Arrive in Aleppo Amid the Presence of General Suleimani" . Al-Masdar News . Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Leith Fadel (1 February 2016). "Syrian Army, Hezbollah launch preliminary offensive in northern Aleppo" . Al-Masdar News . Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016 .
^ "Breaking: Syrian Army, Hezbollah liberate Al-Amariyah in northern Palmyra" . 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2018 .
^ Aboufadel, Leith (15 May 2017). "Syrian government, Iraqi reinforcements reach southeast Damascus for upcoming offensive" . Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2018 .
^ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" . U.S. Department of State .
^ "مجلس الوزراء يعتمد قائمة التنظيمات الإرهابية. – WAM" . 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014.
^ a b "カタイブ・ヒズボラ(KH) | 国際テロリズム要覧(Web版) | 公安調査庁" . 2 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019.
^ a b John Pike. "Kata'ib Hizballah (KH) (Battalions of the Party of God)" . Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ "Hashd Brigade Numbers Index" . aymennjawad.org. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017 .
^ Daniel Cassman. "Kata'ib Hezbollah | Mapping Militant Organizations" . Web.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ Cite error: The named reference amerli
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^ al-Salhy, Suadad (10 April 2013). "Iraqi Shi'ite militants start to acknowledge role in Syria" . Reuters . Retrieved 10 April 2015 .
^ Dehghanpisheh, Babak (12 November 2014). "Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran" . Reuters .
^ Hassan, Falih; Rubin, Alissa J.; Crowley, Michael (2 January 2020). "Iraqi TV Reports Strike Kills Powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander" . The New York Times . Retrieved 3 January 2020 .
^ "Meet 'the uncle' Abu Fadak, the new head of Iran-backed PMU militias in Iraq" . Al Arabiya. 21 February 2020.
^ "Kata'ib Hezbollah: A Dominant Iraqi Pro-Iranian Militia" . The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center . 2 January 2023.
^ Roggio, Bill (1 November 2023). "PROFILES OF 15 IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST" . Long War Journal .
^ a b "National Counterterrorism Center | FTOs" . www.dni.gov . Retrieved 31 January 2024 .