Special Groups (Iraq)

Special Groups
Leaders	Muqtada al-Sadr Qais al-Khazali Akram al-Kaabi Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani Sayyid Ahmad Sajad al-Gharawi Abu Deraa Arkan Hasnawi † Haydar al-Majidi
Dates of operation	2007–2011
Headquarters	Sadr City
Active regions	Sadr City and southern Iraq
Ideology	Shi'a Islamism
Size	7,000+[1] (2011)
Part of	Mahdi Army (until 2008) Iraqi insurgency
Allies	Mahdi Army  Iran (claimed by US)  Syria  Russia  Hezbollah (claimed by US)
Opponents	Coalition (until 2009)  United States (until 2011) Iraqi Security Forces (until 2011) Sunni Insurgents Free Syrian Army
Battles and wars	Iraq War, Sectarian violence in Iraq (2006–2008), Iraqi insurgency, Syrian Civil War
Preceded by Mahdi Army Succeeded by Popular Mobilization Forces Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Kata'ib Hezbollah Promised Day Brigades

Special Groups (SGs) is a designation given by the United States military to the cell-based Shi'a paramilitary organizations operating within Iraq, According to the United States these groups are funded, trained, and armed by the Iranian Quds Force, part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).^[2]

According to American General Kevin J. Bergner, the Special Groups receive between 750,000 and 3,000,000 dollars funding per month from the Quds Force.^[3] These groups are separate from but allied with the Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr. The distinction between these groups and the Mahdi Army became more clear when al-Sadr called for a ceasefire at the end of August 2007 following Mahdi Army clashes with Iraqi Security Forces in Karbala but the Special Groups continued fighting. After the Mahdi Army's disbandment in 2008, the Promised Day Brigades emerged as its successor; however, the largest special group to emerge after the Iraq spring fighting of 2008 was Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (also known as the Qazali Network). According to the Guardian newspaper in March 2014, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq was controlled by Iran under Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020.^[4] Another large special group is Kata'ib Hezbollah (or Hezbollah Brigades) which started to operate independently from the Mahdi Army and the other Special Groups. Suspected leaders include Qais al-Khazali, Laith al-Khazali, Ali al-Lami, Azhar al-Dulaimi, Akram al-Kaabi, Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Abu Deraa.