Shia Islamist paramilitary group in Iraq
Kata'ib Hezbollah (Arabic : كتائب حزب الله , lit. 'Battalions of the Party of God'),[ 40] 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.[ 41] During the Iraq War (2003–11), the group fought against Coalition forces .[ 40] [ 42] It has been active in the War in Iraq (2013–2017) [ 43] and the Syrian Civil War .[ 44] The group was commanded by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis [ 45] until he was killed in a US drone attack in 2020.[ 46] Thereafter, Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak) became the new leader of the PMF.[ 47] 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.[citation needed ] 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 .[ 48] [ 49] Kata'ib Hezbollah has received extensive training, funding, logistic support, weapons, and intelligence from the IRGC 's overseas military-intelligence service Quds Force .[ 50]
Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) is officially listed as a terrorist organization by the governments of Japan,[ 39] United Arab Emirates, and the United States. KH is an official part of Iraq's security apparatus.[ 50]
^ "The Evolution of Iran's Special Groups in Iraq" . Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017 .
^ 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 Hizballah (KH)" . www.dni.gov . Retrieved 1 October 2024 .
^ "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
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).
^ 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 .