The US authorities added Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iranian proxy militia, its secretary basic, 5 members of the terrorist group Hezbollah Brigades and an operative Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its checklist of Specifically Designated International Terrorists. Each militias are chargeable for attacking US forces in Iraq and Syria, and each are a part of Iraq’s Fashionable Mobilization Forces, an official, unbiased navy arm of the Iraqi authorities.
Appointment of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada
The US State Division added Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary Normal, Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji to the checklist of Specifically Designated International Terrorists on 17 November. Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada is an Iranian proxy fashioned in 2013, ostensibly to guard Shia shrines in Iraq because the Islamic State rampaged throughout the nation.
“KSS terrorist exercise has threatened the lives of each the U.S. and international coalition to defeat ISIS personnel in Iraq and Syria,” State famous in its press launch. “KSS, at instances works with different US-designated organizations, together with KH [Kata’ib Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades] and Harakat al-Nujaba, have deliberate and supported assaults towards US personnel.”
Two key leaders of the KSS are Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani and Abu Ala al-Walai, each of whom are carefully allied with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Badr Corps, one other Iranian proxy. Al-Sheibani, a harmful and influential commander among the many Shiite militias, is likely one of the primary IRGC operatives who was chargeable for the creation of the Iraqi militias. Al-Sheibani was listed by the US authorities as a Specifically Designated International Terrorist in January 2008 for focusing on US and British forces in addition to Iraqi political and navy leaders.
Designation of 5 Hezbollah brigades managers and an IRGC agent
In its designation of the Hezbollah Brigades leaders, the Treasury Division famous that the group is “skilled, funded and supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Power (IRGC-QF)” and “is behind a spate of latest assaults towards the US and companions in Iraq and Syria after the horrific assaults by Hamas towards Israel.”
The Hezbollah Brigades is a US-designated international terrorist group and is led by Ahmad al-Hamidawi. The Hezbollah Brigades was based by Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, who was listed by the US authorities as a Specifically Designated International Terrorist in July 2009 and was described as “an advisor to” former Qods Power commander Qassem Soleimani. Muhandis, together with Qaiz Khazali, performed a key function within the Shia militias’ formation and subsequent assaults on US, coalition and Iraqi forces. The US killed Muhandis and Soleimani in an airstrike in Baghdad in 2020. The Hezbollah brigades acquired coaching, funds, weapons, intelligence and different necessary help from the Qods Power. The terrorist group is chargeable for killing a whole lot of American troopers in Iraq.
The six Hezbollah brigade commanders listed as Specifically Designated International Terrorists are Imad Naji al-Bahadli, Habib Hasan Mughamis Darraji, Ja’afar al-Husayni, Khalid Kadhim Jasim al-Skeni, Basim Mohammad Hasab al-Majidi and Mojtaba Jahandust .
Al-Bahadli is “a member of KH’s governing Shura Council,” which was beforehand “chargeable for KH’s operational components concerned in finishing up assaults and kidnappings.” As well as, al-Bahadli, following the route of Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah Brigades Secretary Normal Ahmad al-Hamidawi, plotted to intimidate Iraqi politicians who didn’t help the removing of US forces from Iraq and different KH political priorities.
Al-Bahadli additionally sought to determine US navy installations and US corporations that might function targets for future KH assaults that might be launched on the behest of the IRGC-QF. In preparation for these assaults on US pursuits, al-Bahadli despatched KH militants to coach in Lebanon with the US-designated terrorist group Lebanese Hizballah, the place he himself had been skilled.”
Darraji “serves as KH’s international affairs chief” who “has coordinated the coaching of KH fighters in Iran with the IRGC and facilitated the smuggling of products from Iran to KH members in Iraq.” Al-Husayni is a spokesman for the Hezbollah brigades “and has coordinated with KH fighters planning assaults towards US navy personnel in Iraq.” Al-Skeni “is a senior KH navy commander who has labored with the IRGC to coach KH fighters.” Al-Majidi is the “business improvement chief” of the Hezbollah Brigades who additionally served because the group’s propaganda chief. Jahandust “is an IRGC-QF official who facilitates the journey and coaching of KH fighters in Iran.”
The Hezbollah Brigades and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada are two of the Iranian-backed militias which have launched dozens of assaults on US bases in Iraq and Syria since October 17. The assaults are claimed below the guise of the Islamic resistance in Iraq. The US navy has launched three airstrikes towards the militias and IRGC infrastructure in response to the militia assaults. Iran and the militias search to oust the US from its bases in Iraq and Syria, in addition to show that it helps Hamas and its allies as they battle Israel.
For extra info on the militias in Iraq, Syria and past, see the LWJ report: Profiles of 15 Iranian-backed militias within the Center East.
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