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In a joint assertion, Saraya al-Ashtar and Saraya Wa’advert Allah, each Iranian-backed militias within the island kingdom of Bahrain, despatched their condolences to the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades – itself an Iranian proxy – over the latest killing of one in all its high commanders in an American drone strike.
The assertion follows the killing of Wissam Muhammad al-Saadi, who was also referred to as Abu Baqir al-Saadi, in a US drone assault in Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. Earlier than his loss of life, al-Saadi was the top of the Hezbollah Brigades’ Syrian operations and was thus accountable for its assaults on American personnel there.
This seemingly consists of the latest assault on a Jordanian base that killed three American troops, which was broadly blamed on the Iraqi Hezbollah brigades. Al Jazeera has additionally recognized al-Saadi as the top of the Hezbollah Brigades drone forces, including additional emphasis to his accountability for the killing of the US troops.
“With hearts full of religion, endurance and dedication on the trail of resistance and belief in God,” the assertion begins, “we want our brothers within the Islamic resistance – the Hezbollah brigades – with the ascension of the hero, al-Hajj al. – Mujahid Wissam Muhammad al-Saadi.”
The 2 teams reward al-Saadi for “being a martyr on the highway to Jerusalem, ending a journey filled with jihad and resistance for the reason that US occupation [of Iraq].” The assertion additionally stories that al-Saadi was instrumental within the Hezbollah brigades’ contribution to the battle towards al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in each Iraq and Syria.
In line with the Iranian-backed militias, al-Saadi “joins his fellow martyr leaders as a martyr coated in blood with the very best rewards by the hands of God’s most evil creature, the Nice Devil, America.”
Regardless of the killing of al-Saadi, the 2 teams are nonetheless urging these throughout the broader Islamic resistance, or Iran’s community of varied militias and organizations throughout the Center East, not to surrender the battle.
“We proceed this march with out weak spot till our Ummah [worldwide Islamic community] is free of the slavery of the forces of conceitedness and their hegemony over our Islamic Ummah.”
Relations between the Hezbollah Brigades and Bahrain
As one in all Iran’s largest proxy forces in Iraq, the Hezbollah brigades will not be unknown to the smaller, much less succesful Bahraini militias. Regardless of some proof of direct help prior to now, this extra tangible relationship seems to have weakened. The latter, nevertheless, continues to honor his fellow group within the so-called Islamic resistance.
Bahraini authorities have lengthy accused the Hezbollah brigades of coaching a number of of the extra distinguished militias on the island, significantly Saraya al-Ashtar. These allegations had been apparently confirmed by the State Division when it designated the group as a terrorist group, noting that al-Ashtar members received training in Iraq.
And in 2018 and 2019, after different US airstrikes towards Hezbollah brigades in Syria and Iraq respectively, Saraya al-Ashtar was among the many first teams to ship condolences.
Whereas the Hezbollah brigades have by no means talked about Saraya al-Ashtar by identify, they’ve an avowed historical past of rhetorically supporting resistance actions in Bahrain. For instance, it recorded at the least 9 movies between March and April 2011 displaying assaults in 5 of Iraq’s provinces and in Baghdad within the identify of the Bahraini Revolutionary Motion (notice: movies have since been deleted from YouTube and subsequently not linked right here).
It’s unclear whether or not this relationship stays as robust right this moment, as militancy in Bahrain has been severely weakened because of Bahrain’s counter-terrorism operations. For instance, no alleged assault has occurred on the island since 2019, in keeping with information saved by FDD’s Lengthy Warfare Journal.
Regardless of the final lack of operational exercise, a lot of Iran’s sponsored teams proceed to function in Bahrain. This consists of Saraya al-Mokhtar, one other US-designated terrorist group with its personal litany of ties to Iraq-based Iranian proxies, and Saraya Wa’advert Allah.
It was e.g. Saraya Wa’advert Allah, praising Hamas’s invasion of Israel and subsequent bloodbath of civilians on October 7, 2023. In the identical assertion, it issued a name to arms to different Bahraini militants to extend actions on the island, particularly towards Israelis and Jews .
This menace has not but materialized.