Kata'ib Hezbollah
LeadersAbu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Jamal al-Ibrahimi) †[1][2]
(2003–2020)
Ahmad al-Hamidawi
(2020–present)
SpokespersonJafar al-Hussaini[3]
Dates of operationOctober 2003 – present
Allegiance Iran (IRGC)
Group(s)
  • Saraya al-Dafa al-Shaabi
Active regionsSouthern Iraq, Baghdad
IdeologyShia Islamism
Khomeinism
Velayat-e Faqih
Anti-Americanism[4]
Anti-Zionism
Anti-West (alleged by the U.S.)[5]
Anti-anarchism
Political positionRight-wing to far-right
Size2,000 (2010; at most)[6]
10,000 (June 2014)
Over 30,000 (December 2014 claim)[7]
Part ofPopular Mobilization Forces (until 2020)
Islamic Resistance in Iraq (since 2020)
AlliesState allies

Non-state allies

OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and warsIraq War

War in Iraq (2013–2017)

Syrian Civil War

2023 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria
Designated as a terrorist group by United States[33]
 United Arab Emirates[34]
 Japan[35]

Kata'ib Hezbollah (Arabic: كتائب حزب الله, lit. 'Battalions of the Party of God')[36]—or the Hezbollah Brigades—is a radical Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group which used to be part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, staffing the 45th, 46th, and 47th Brigades.[37] During the Iraq War (2003–11), the group fought against Coalition forces.[36][38] It has been active in the War in Iraq (2013–2017)[39] and the Syrian civil war (2011–present).[40] The group was commanded by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis[41] until he was killed in a US drone attack in 2020.[42] Thereafter, he was replaced by Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak), as the new leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).[43] KH 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.[44][45] Kata'ib Hezbollah is directly subordinate to Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's (IRGC) Quds Force and operates under its instructions and guidance.[44]

Kata'ib Hezbollah is officially listed as a terrorist organization by the governments of Japan,[35] United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

History

Formation

Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) was established in March 2003 as a result of a union between several pro-Iranian groups following the invasion of Iraq by the US and UK that overthrew the regime of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the Coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government.[46]

The group was founded by Jamal Jafaar al-Ibrahim, known as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi-Iranian dual national designated as terrorist in 2009.[47][48] Its first members were from the Badr Organization. The group's structure is secretive, but al-Muhandis, an adviser to IRGC's Quds Force and former Badr Organization member, was known to be a senior figure in the group,[1][49] and its commander.[50] The group is directly subordinate to the Quds Force and operates under its instructions and guidance.[36][38] The US State Department also claimed Lebanon-based Hezbollah provided weapons and training for the group.[51]

Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)

The group came to prominence in 2007 for attacks against U.S.-led Coalition forces in Iraq,[36][52] and was known for uploading videos of its attacks on American forces on the internet.[53] The militia's main tactics were to fire rockets and mortar shells at U.S. bases, sniper attacks, and plant roadside bombs to attack U.S. and Coalition forces.[54]

On 15 March 2007, four U.S. soldiers were killed in eastern Baghdad when IEDs planted by Kata'ib Hezbollah detonated near their unit.[55][56]

On 25 September 2007, Staff Sgt. Zachary B. Tomczak was shot dead by a Kata'ib Hezbollah sniper in Baghdad. His killing was captured on video and posted online by the KH militia.[57][58]

On 4 October 2007, U.S. Army Spc. Avealalo Milo was killed by a Kata'ib Hezbollah sniper shot in Baghdad. The attack was recorded and subsequently published online by the militia.[59][60]

On 4 June 2008, Kata'ib Hezbollah conducted a rocket attack that was meant to target Coalition forces but instead killed 18 civilians in Baghdad.[61][62]

In mid-2008, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a crackdown against the group and the "Special Groups", the US military term for Iran-backed militias in Iraq. At least 30 of its members were captured during those months. Many of the group's leaders were also captured and US officials claimed that "as result much of the leadership fled to Iran".[63][64]

On 2 July 2009, KH was added to the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The group was held responsible for numerous IED attacks, mortar, rocket and RPG attacks as well as sniper operations, targeting US and Iraqi forces, including a November 2008 rocket attack that killed two U.N. workers.[52]

In December 2009, the group intercepted the unencrypted video feed of MQ-1 Predator UAVs above Iraq.[65]

On 12 February 2010, a firefight with suspected members of the group occurred 265 km (165 mi) southeast of Baghdad in a village near the Iranian border, the U.S. military said. Twelve people were arrested, it said. "The joint security team was fired upon by individuals dispersed in multiple residential buildings ... members of the security team returned fire, killing individuals assessed to be enemy combatants," the military said in a statement. The Provincial Iraqi officials said many of the dead were innocent bystanders, and demanded compensation. They said eight people were killed.[66]

On 13 July 2010, General Ray Odierno named Kata'ib Hezbollah as being behind threats against American bases in Iraq. "In the last couple weeks there's been an increased threat ... and so we've increased our security on some of our bases," Odierno told reporters at a briefing in Baghdad.[67]

On 6 June 2011, Kata'ib Hezbollah militants fired rockets at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad killing six U.S. soldiers.[68] Another five soldiers were also wounded in the attack.[69]

On 29 June 2011, Kata'ib Hezbollah fired IRAM rockets that struck a US base near the Iranian border – COP Shocker. The attack resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.[70] A videotape of the rocket attack was published online by the militia.[71]

In July 2011, an Iraqi intelligence official estimated the group's size at 1,000 fighters and said the militants were paid between $300 and $500 per month.[72][73]

The Al-Qa'im border crossing has seen hastened military activity as the group is expected to play an important military and security role as the crossing with Syria is officially opened on September 30, 2019.[74][75]

Post-US withdrawal

In 2013, Kata'ib Hezbollah and other Iraqi Shia militias acknowledged sending fighters to Syria to fight alongside forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, against the Sunni rebels seeking to overthrow him in the Syrian Civil War.[40]

Wathiq al-Batat, a former Kata'ib Hezbollah leader, announced the creation of a new Shia militia, the Mukhtar Army, on 4 February 2013, saying its aim is to defend Shiites and help the government combat terrorism.[76]

In 2014, the group began taking a role in the fight against ISIL in Iraq.[39] Also in 2014, they and six other predominantly Shia Iraqi paramilitary groups formed the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).[77] Since October 2016, Kata'ib Hezbollah along with the Iraqi army and other PMF groups has taken part in the Battle of Mosul against ISIL.[78] They have been, alongside other PMF, active in fighting around Tal Afar, severing ISIL's link from Mosul and Tal Afar to the rest of their territory.[79]

During protests in Iraq in 2019, Kata'ib Hezbollah militiamen were reportedly involved in abducting and murdering hundreds of peaceful protesters.[80][81]

On 29 December 2019, the United States bombed the headquarters of Kata'ib Hezbollah near Al-Qa'im.[82] The airstrikes targeted three Kata'ib Hezbollah locations in Iraq and two in Syria, and included weapons depots and command posts, according to Reuters and a US military statement.[83] The attack was in retaliation after a barrage of over 30 rockets were fired towards the K-1 base two days earlier and other attacks on bases with US forces in Iraq. The earlier attack killed a US contractor and wounded several Iraqi and US soldiers.[84] Twenty-five people were reportedly killed in the US airstrikes and 51 members wounded.[85][86][87]

In response to the American bombing of the Kata'ib Hezbollah headquarters on 29 December, protesters attacked the US embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad on 31 December 2019.[88] Many of the protesters were members of the Kata'ib Hezbollah militia, including Kata'ib Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.[89][88] Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned on 2 January that the group may be planning new attacks in Iraq, and that the U.S. is prepared to launch preemptive attacks.[90] Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed by a US drone strike at the Baghdad International Airport on 3 January 2020.[42]

In January 2020, it left the Popular Mobilization Forces to form the Islamic Resistance In Iraq.

On 27 February 2020, the U.S. State and Treasury departments designated Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary general of Kataib Hezbollah, as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist."[91]

In March 2020, U.S. launched air raids against Kata'ib Hezbollah facilities in Karbala in retaliation for the Camp Taji attacks.[92]

On 25 June 2020, Iraqi security forces raided Kata'ib Hezbollah base in Dora, southern Baghdad and detained at least 14 militia members.[93]

On 11 October 2020, Kata'ib Hezbollah announced that they have agreed to conditional ceasefire against United States interests in Iraq.[94]

On 26 February 2021, U.S. air strikes hit targets used by the KH militia and other Iranian-backed groups in Syria.[95] These strikes were carried out in retaliation for an attack on a U.S. air base in Erbil on 15 February 2021.[96]

On 26 March 2023, Kata'ib Hezbollah kidnapped Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in Baghdad's Karrada district.[97]

On 17 November 2023, United States expanded the scope of sanctions on Kata’ib Hezbollah by blacklisting six high-ranking officials affiliated with the militia following attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.[98][99][100]

On 21 November 2023, a US AC-130-gunship struck a Kata'ib Hezbollah vehicle near Abu Ghraib, in response to the Islamic Resistance In Iraq's November 20 attack on Al-Asad Airbase.[101][102]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "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.
  2. ↑ Yuhas, Alan (3 January 2020). "Airstrike That Killed Suleimani Also Killed Powerful Iraqi Militia Leader". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ "Iran-backed Iraqi militias step up threat of violence against US forces in Iraq". Middle East Institute.
  4. ↑ "Iran-backed groups urge complete US withdrawal from Iraq". The National. 6 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "Part 2: Pro-Iran Militias in Iraq". Wilson Center. 27 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Group Profile Kata'ib Hezbollah (page 7) Archived 3 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 5 March 2010
  7. ↑ Ryan, Missy; Morris, Loveday (27 December 2014). "The U.S. and Iran are aligned in Iraq against the Islamic State – for now". Washington Post. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "News Article". css.ethz.ch.
  10. 1 2 3 "FSI | CISAC | MAPPINGMILITANTS CISAC - MMP: Kata'ib Hezbollah". cisac.fsi.stanford.edu.
  11. ↑ "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)
  12. ↑ "لواءُ عليٍّ الأكبرِ يعلنُ تحريرَ ثلاثةِ مواقعَ مهمّةٍ بقضاءِ بلدٍ فيْ صلاحِ الدّينِ". العتبة الحسينية المقدسة.
  13. ↑ "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking Islamic State siege of Iraqi town". Long War Journal. 10 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ "'سرايا الأشتر'.. تنظيم شيعي مسلح يهدد البحرين". بوابة الحركات الاسلامية.
  16. ↑ Iraq after America: Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance. P. 279
  17. ↑ "Iran Is Using The Same Dangerously Effective Strategy in Iraq As It Used in Syria". Business Insider.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "Kata'ib Hezbollah | Mapping Militant Organizations". web.stanford.edu.
  20. ↑ "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking ISIL siege of Iraqi town". Long War Journal. 10 September 2014.
  21. 1 2 Roggio, Bill (10 September 2014). "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking Islamic State siege of Iraqi town". Long War Journal. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  22. ↑ Morris, Loveday (29 October 2014). "Iraq's victory over militants in Sunni town underlines challenges government faces". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Roggio, Bill; Weiss, Caleb (19 October 2015). "Iraqi Army, Shiite militias report success in Baiji". Long War Journal. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  25. ↑ "Kataib Hezbollah to announce the full control of Baiji in a few hours". 19 June 2015.
  26. ↑ Alice Fordham (7 April 2015). "After Retaking Iraqi City, Shiite Militias Accused of Targeting Sunnis : Parallels". NPR. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  27. ↑ 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.
  28. ↑ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (17 November 2018). "Kata'ib Hezbollah's Syrian Wing: Interview". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.
  29. ↑ 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.
  30. ↑ 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.
  31. ↑ "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.
  32. ↑ 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.
  33. ↑ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations". U.S. Department of State.
  34. ↑ "مجلس الوزراء يعتمد قائمة التنظيمات الإرهابية. – WAM". 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014.
  35. 1 2 "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.
  36. 1 2 3 4 John Pike. "Kata'ib Hizballah (KH) (Battalions of the Party of God)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  37. ↑ "Hashd Brigade Numbers Index". aymennjawad.org. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  38. 1 2 Daniel Cassman. "Kata'ib Hezbollah | Mapping Militant Organizations". Web.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  39. 1 2 Roggio, Bill (10 September 2014). "US aided Hezbollah Brigades in breaking Islamic State siege of Iraqi town". Long War Journal. Public Multimedia. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  40. 1 2 al-Salhy, Suadad (10 April 2013). "Iraqi Shi'ite militants start to acknowledge role in Syria". Reuters. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  41. ↑ Dehghanpisheh, Babak (12 November 2014). "Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran". Reuters.
  42. 1 2 Hassan, Falih; Rubin, Alissa J.; Crowley, Michael (2 January 2020). "Iraqi TV Reports Strike Kills Powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  43. ↑ "Meet 'the uncle' Abu Fadak, the new head of Iran-backed PMU militias in Iraq". Al Arabiya. 21 February 2020.
  44. 1 2 "Kata'ib Hezbollah: A Dominant Iraqi Pro-Iranian Militia". The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 2 January 2023.
  45. ↑ Roggio, Bill (1 November 2023). "PROFILES OF 15 IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN THE MIDDLE EAST". The Long War Journal.
  46. ↑ "Iraq War". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  47. ↑ "Treasury Designates Individual, Entity Posing Threat to Stability in Iraq". www.treasury.gov.
  48. ↑ Lawrence, John (26 May 2015). "Iraq Situation Report: May 23–25, 2015". understandingwar.org. Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 27 May 2015. See paragraph 5 of the report.
  49. ↑ "Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Intricate Web of Iranian Military Involvement in Iraq". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation.
  50. ↑ "Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, head of pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah targeted by U.S." Haaretz.
  51. ↑ Google News US puts sanctions on Iraq Shiite group, Iran adviser, 1 July 2009, AFP
  52. 1 2 "U.S. declares Iraq-based group foreign terrorist organization". Reuters. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  53. ↑ Roggio, Bill (21 July 2008). "Hezbollah Brigades propaganda specialist captured in Baghdad". Long War Journal. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  54. ↑ "Kata'ib Hezbollah: A Dominant Iraqi Pro-Iranian Militia". The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 2 January 2023.
  55. ↑ "Four soldiers from Fort Hood killed in Iraq". Plainview Herald. 16 March 2007.
  56. ↑ "Kataib Hezbollah Multiple IED attack on American Troops (Resulting in 4 KIA) in Al Ubaydi District,Baghdad-Iraq (15-3-2007)". 15 December 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  57. ↑ "South Dakota Soldier killed in Iraq". news.sd.gov. 26 September 2007.
  58. ↑ "Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq(Hezbollah brigades)Sniper attack vs American soldier inAL-SHaeb 25/9/2007 (VIDEO)". archive.org. 1 January 2010.
  59. ↑ "kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq-sniper attack 4/10/2007 (VIDEO)". archive.org. 6 May 2009.
  60. ↑ Renaud, Jean-Paul (18 November 2007). "Army Spc. Avealalo Milo, 23, Hayward; killed when unit hit by small-arms fire in Baghdad". Los Angeles Times.
  61. ↑ Kami, Aseel (4 June 2008). "U.S. blames militia for Iraq blast that kills 18". Reuters.
  62. ↑ "Mapping the IRGC's Global Activity, 1979–present". Institute for Global Change. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  63. ↑ Google News US says five Iranian proxy insurgents held in Iraq, 27 September 2008 Archived 3 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  64. ↑ Roggio, Bill (21 July 2008). "Iraqi, US forces keep pressure on the Mahdi Army". Long War Journal. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  65. ↑ Hoffman, Michael; Reed, John; Gould, Joe (20 December 2009), "Fixes on the way for nonsecure UAV links", Navy Times, archived from the original on 4 January 2010, retrieved 21 December 2009
  66. ↑ "Five killed as U.S., Iraqi troops raid border village". Reuters. 12 February 2010.
  67. ↑ "Iran-backed force threatens U.S. Iraq bases – general". Reuters. 13 July 2010.
  68. ↑ "June Was Deadliest Month for U.S. in Iraq Since 2008". New York Times. 30 June 2011.
  69. ↑ "5 U.S. troops killed in Iraq, military says". CNN. 6 June 2011.
  70. ↑ "Iraq rocket attack kills three American soldiers". The Guardian. 30 June 2011.
  71. ↑ "Kataib Hezbollah IRAM attack on COP Shocker (VIDEO)". Reddit.com/r/CombatFootage. 4 February 2023.
  72. ↑ Jakes, Lara; Abdul-Zahra, Qassim (1 July 2011). "Shiite militias increase attacks on US troops". Telegram & Gazette. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  73. ↑ "US officials name 3 Iraqi militias armed by Iran to kill yanks". Iran Times. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  74. ↑ Rees, Sebastian (26 September 2019). "Iran's Trojan Army: How Iranian Militia Have Merged with Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces". Al Bawaba News. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  75. ↑ Frantzman, Seth J. (30 September 2019). "Sensitive and Strategic Border Crossing between Iraq-Syria Opens". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  76. ↑ "Iraq's Hezbollah forms new militia to frighten protesters: Sunni leader". Al Arabiya. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  77. ↑ Mansour, Renad; Jabar, Faleh A. (28 April 2017). "The Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraq's Future". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  78. ↑ Reuters, 29 October 2016, Iran-backed Shi'ite militias to join assault near Mosul on new front
  79. ↑ "Iraqi Shi'ite forces aim to clear border strip with Syria". Reuters. 13 December 2016.
  80. ↑ "Chaos spreads in Iraq as PM office remains vacant". Al Monitor. 6 December 2019.
  81. ↑ "Kata'ib Hezbollah: A Dominant Iraqi Pro-Iranian Militia". 2 January 2023.
  82. ↑ "US attacks Iran-backed militia bases in Iraq and Syria". BBC. 30 December 2019.
  83. ↑ "Statement From Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Hoffman". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
  84. ↑ "Rocket attack in Iraq kills US contractor, wounds troops". France 24. 28 December 2019.
  85. ↑ "U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria target Iranian-backed militia, Pentagon says". The Washington Post. 29 December 2019.
  86. ↑ "iran militia vow revenge for us strikes iraq and syria today 2019-12-30". cbsnews.com. 30 December 2019.
  87. ↑ "US attacks Iran-backed militia bases in Iraq and Syria". BBC News. 30 December 2019.
  88. 1 2 Damon, Arwa; Browne, Ryan; Hansler, Jennifer; Diamond, Jeremy (31 December 2019). "Protesters attack US embassy in Baghdad after airstrikes". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  89. ↑ Hassan, Falih; Hubbard, Ben; Rubin, Alissa J. (31 December 2019). "Protesters Attack U.S. Embassy in Iraq, Chanting 'Death to America'". The New York Times.
  90. ↑ 'The game has changed': Defense secretary warns of preemptive strikes on Iranian group By WESLEY MORGAN, Politico, Jan 2, 2020
  91. ↑ "US adds leader of Iraqi militia to terrorism blacklist". Business Insider. 27 February 2020.
  92. ↑ "The US retaliatory strikes on an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, briefly explained". Vox. 13 March 2020.
  93. ↑ "Iraqi forces raid Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah base, 14 arrested". Al Jazeera. 26 June 2020.
  94. ↑ "Iran-backed militias announce 'conditional' cease-fire against U.S. in Iraq". The Washington Post. 11 October 2020.
  95. ↑ "US carries out airstrikes on Iran-backed militia in Syria | DW | 26.02.2021". Deutsche Welle.
  96. ↑ "Airstrikes in Syria kill 22 in Joe Biden's first military act as president". The Guardian. 26 February 2021.
  97. ↑ https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1e6z4hy3
  98. ↑ "US issues sanctions targeting group in Iraq it says is behind recent attacks". Reuters. 17 November 2023.
  99. ↑ "Counter Terrorism Designations;". ofac.treasury.gov. 17 November 2023.
  100. ↑ "US Forces in Iraq, Syria Sustain Nearly 60 Attacks". VOA News. 15 November 2023.
  101. ↑ "IRAN UPDATE, NOVEMBER 21, 2023".
  102. ↑ Altman, Howard (21 November 2023). "AC-130 Ghostrider Gunship Strikes Iranian-Backed Militia In Iraq". The Drive.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Kata'ib Hezbollah.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.