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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Iraq
One killed in US airstrikes on pro-Iran militias in Iraq
2024-01-25
Follow-up to this story from yesterday.
[Rudaw] The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that its forces had struck facilities of Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, in retaliation for the groups’ ongoing attacks targeting American personnel in the country. At least one militiaman was killed in the Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s.

The unilateral airstrikes, carried out at around 12:15 am, were in response to a missile strike from pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
militias on Saturday, which targeted al-Assad Airbase, housing US-led coalition troops in Iraq’s western Anbar province, and injured at least one Iraqi service member and a number of US personnel.

Wednesday’s retaliatory attacks struck three facilities of the Kataib Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups in Iraq. According to a statement from CENTCOM, the strikes targeted the groups’ "headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV capabilities."

The state-linked Popular Mobilization Forces’ (PMF) al-Jazeera Operations Command announced later that one of its bases in Anbar’s Qaim district was struck in the American attack, confirming that at least one of its fighters were killed and two others were maimed.

The group also reported that a PMF training facility in northern Babil province’s Jurf al-Nasr (formerly Jurf al-Sakhar) was targeted by the US forces as well.

Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
i, described the US’ Wednesday strikes as "unacceptable" and a violation of Iraqi illusory sovereignty, calling on the international community to prevent the aggressions that threaten the country’s stability.

The attacks also obstruct the process of reaching an understanding with the global coalition regarding their future role in Iraq, Rasool added. The Iraqi government has recently expressed its intention to end the presence of all foreign forces in the country, following several American retaliatory strikes against state-linked gangs.

The American strikes were condemned by Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, who called on Washington to exert pressure to bring an end to the Israeli siege on the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Strip "instead of targeting and bombing headquarters of an Iraqi national institution."

"Targeting the PMF headquarters in Qaim and Jurf al-Sakhar is an assault and a blatant violation of Iraqi illusory sovereignty and does not help calm the situation," wrote Araji on X, formerly Twitter.
Link


Iraq
Militia vows to continue attacks until all US troops leave Iraq
2023-12-10
[Rudaw] An Iraqi militia official on Saturday vowed to continue drone and rocket attacks on United States interests, defying Baghdad’s efforts to find the perpetrators and reassure its American allies.

"Our jihadist operations against the American occupation will continue until the last of its soldiers are removed from the land of Iraq," Abu Ali al-Askari, an official from Kataib Hezbollah, one of the pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
groups Washington blames for the recent attacks, said in a statement.

"The American evil embassy remains a forward operations base for managing military and security operations, and a den of espionage," he said. "Yesterday’s group of operations is only the beginning of a new rule of engagement, and the coming days will determine the level of response."

A series of rockets targeted the US embassy in Baghdad in the early hours of Friday, causing no casualties. The attack prompted Washington to call on Baghdad to protect diplomatic missions in the country, adding the US reserves the right to defend itself.

The headquarters of the Iraqi National Security Service in Baghdad, Erbil International Airport, and a civilian building near the airport were also hit with drones and rockets on Friday.

The Islamic Resistance® in Iraq, a network of militias, said in a statement on its Telegram channel that it carried out eleven attacks against "American occupation in Iraq and Syria," using dozens of rockets and drones in the assaults on Friday. It did not detail which sites it targeted.

There have been at least 78 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, leaving 66 American personnel injured, according to the Pentagon. The Islamic Resistance® in Iraq, which is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has claimed most of the attacks, which are in retaliation for Washington’s support for Israel in its war on Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
i in a phone call on Saturday warned US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin against taking any direct response to militia attacks without approval from Baghdad.

Sudani "emphasized the security services' capability to pursue and expose those involved in attacks, cautioning against a direct response without government approval," according to a statement from his office.

The US has responded with drone and Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s. On November 22, US warplanes struck pro-Iran fighters in Jurf al-Nasr (formerly Jurf al-Sakhar) in northern Babil province, killing eight members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi). Another five PMF fighters were killed in a US dronezap in Kirkuk on December 3.

Kataib Hezbollah
...which keeps insisting it’s not in any way at all connected to the original Lebanese Hezbollah, even though they’ve trained together and they’re both clients of Iran...
and Harakat al-Nujaba, the two groups Washington blames for the attacks, are both designated terrorist organizations by the US.

Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS), which once held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared territorially defeated in 2019.
Related:
Kataib Hezbollah: 2023-12-04 Five members of Al-Nujaba Movement killed in American air strike in Kirkuk
Kataib Hezbollah: 2023-11-28 US sanctions Iraqi militia over rocket, drone attacks
Kataib Hezbollah: 2023-10-30 USAF fighter jets are reportedly launching airstrikes in the Al Bukamal region, near the border with Iraq
Related:
Harakat al-Nujaba: 2021-02-28 Iraqi group says US attack in Syria 'will not go without punishment'
Harakat al-Nujaba: 2020-02-17 Akram al-Kaabi carving out a central leadership position among Iran-backed PMF commanders
Harakat al-Nujaba: 2020-02-16 Blasts hit US-led coalition base in Baghdad
Link


Iraq
Death of PMF fighter due to injuries sustained in US airstrike
2023-11-28
[Shafaq News] al-Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) announced on Sunday the death of a fighter due to injuries sustained from the American Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
on Jurf al-Nasr - formerly known as Jurf al-Sakhar - in the north of Babil governorate.

The statement released by the PMF mentioned that the fighter, Majid Abdullah Kadhim al-Shibawi, passed away this Sunday morning due to severe injuries sustained from the US airstrike on Jurf al-Nasr last week.

With this, the casualty toll among the PMF has risen to nine, while three injured individuals are still receiving treatment.

On Wednesday, November 22nd, the US military airstrikes targeted positions of Hezbollah Brigades in Jurf al-Sakhar area, resulting in the death of eight individuals. This action was in response to attacks on US bases in the region, according to Washington.

On the other hand, in a statement, the Iraqi government condemned the US strikes, considering them a "clear violation of Iraqi illusory sovereignty."
Link


Iraq
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal does not include pro-Iran Iraqi militias: Spox
2023-11-28
Unlike yesterday's announcement by the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades (no relation to Lebanese Hezbollah, they loudly insist — even though both are clients of Iran). But then, their targets are different, one being the Little Satan while the the other is Great Satan military bases in Iraq and Syria.
[Rudaw] The spokesperson of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia group on Thursday told Rudaw that the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Paleostinian Hamas
...the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
Movement does not include the Islamic Resistance® in Iraq, a network of shadow militia groups that have repeatedly attacked US bases in Iraq and Syria over the past month.

A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday morning, bringing to a pause the war that has claimed the lives of over 13,000 Paleostinians and 1,200 Israelis since October 7. Hamas is set to release 50 Israeli hostages over the next four days in exchange for 150 Paleostinian prisoners held by Israel.

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, a brigade of the Iraqi government-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), said that they have not been contacted regarding a truce,
Why would they be, pray tell?
adding that they will continue to hold the US accountable for supporting Israel’s war on Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
and violating Iraq’s illusory sovereignty.

"The situation is separate... there are deaders who fell two days ago, and naturally this is a crime that attacks Iraqi illusory sovereignty and the PMF. Therefore, it cannot pass easily and there cannot be a truce without bearing responsibility for violating illusory sovereignty and spilling the blood of the deaders," Kadhim al-Fartusi, spokesperson of the group told Rudaw.

A close-range ballistic missile attack by Iran-backed militias on Ain al-Assad airbase, which houses US troops in Iraq’s Anbar, left eight American personnel injured. The attack triggered two retaliatory strikes from the US military on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least nine pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
fighters.

Iraqi authorities condemned the US Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s after eight members of the PMF were killed in a US airstrike in Jurf al-Nasr (formerly Jurf al-Sakhar) in northern Babil province, around 60 kilometers southwest of Baghdad.

The Islamic Resistance® in Iraq on Thursday claimed striking US troops twice in Syria and twice in Iraq.

US President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant... or is that an act?...
on Wednesday wrote in a letter to the congressional leadership that Washington stands ready to pursue further action against Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq and Syria in accordance with the its right to self-defense.
Related:
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2021-07-19 US drone destroys truck with food and ammo
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2021-07-07 Iraqi commander vows to avenge deaths in US strike
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada: 2021-07-07 Attack on Erbil airport in Iraq reported
Related:
Popular Mobilization Forces: 2023-09-26 PMF 'neutralizes' ISIS gathering in Saladin
Popular Mobilization Forces: 2023-09-23 Joint security operation targets ISIS hideouts in Eastern Saladin
Popular Mobilization Forces: 2023-09-21 Security forces neutralize four ISIS militants involved in killing civilians in al-Anbar
Related:
Jurf al-Nasr: 2023-07-14 PMF Fighter Killed in Mine Explosion During Inspection Operation in Babel
Jurf al-Nasr: 2023-02-16 ISIS militants hide behind a wall of bombs and booby traps, local officials in Diyala say
Jurf al-Nasr: 2023-01-29 'Revealing Road:' an operation to purge 'hot territories' in Diyala
Related:
Ain al-Assad airbase: 2021-04-21 Heavy Military deployment in al-Anbar in anticipation of potential ISIS attacks
Ain al-Assad airbase: 2020-01-16 Iran's secret underground 'missile city' unveiled
Ain al-Assad airbase: 2020-01-09 Iraqis denounce Iran missiles as 'violation of sovereignty'
Link


Iraq
8 killed in US strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq
2023-11-23
[An Nahar] The United States military said Wednesday that it had carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq that have launched attacks on U.S. forces.

Two officials with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq said the strikes hit three locations in the area of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad, killing eight members of the Kataeb Hezbollah bully boy group. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Iranian-backed gunnies have launched dozens of attacks on bases and facilities housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. While most of the more than five dozen attacks have been ineffective, at least 60 U.S. personnel have reported minor injuries. The bully boy groups have said that the strikes are in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas
...a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
war.

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that its forces had "conducted discrete, precision strikes against two facilities in Iraq ... in direct response to the attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces by Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and Iran-backed groups," including one on Tuesday involving the use of close-range ballistic missiles.

Related:
Iraq: 2023-11-21 Good Morning
Iraq: 2023-11-21 Iraq's Islamic Resistance attack a U.S. base in Syria; 62th since Oct. 17
Iraq: 2023-11-21 Ain al-Assad air base targeted by drone strike in Iraq
Related:
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2023-04-09 Babel Residents Protest Against ''Return of Terrorism'' to Jurf Al-Sakhar
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2022-12-07 Suspected ISIS suicide bomber kills 2 PMF fighters in Babil
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2022-11-25 A leader of Saraya Al-Salam was killed in Maysan, another injured
Related:
Kataeb Hezbollah: 2023-07-30 Why Iraq thinks a plot is fanning the flames of its diplomatic crises
Kataeb Hezbollah: 2023-07-17 Israeli abducted in Iraq said to have initiated contact with her kidnappers
Kataeb Hezbollah: 2023-07-10 Report: Tehran set up Russian-Israeli’s abduction in Iraq to secure Iranian’s release
Related:
Hamas: 2023-11-21 IDF's secret Unit 504 - How is it different from Mossad, Shin Bet? - analysis
Hamas: 2023-11-21 How many aid groups knew Hamas was hiding in a hospital and lied about it?
Hamas: 2023-11-21 Censorship here? Yes, We Knew It All Along
Related:
Iran: 2023-11-21 IDF's secret Unit 504 - How is it different from Mossad, Shin Bet? - analysis
Iran: 2023-11-21 Good Morning
Iran: 2023-11-21 Israel Arrests NBC Journalist for Inciting Terrorism
Link


Iraq
Babel Residents Protest Against ''Return of Terrorism'' to Jurf Al-Sakhar
2023-04-09
[Shafaq News] Hundreds of residents of Babel governorate staged a protest in the district of al-Musayyib on Friday, saying it was against the "return of terrorism" to the Jurf al-Sakhar area, controlled by Hezbollah brigades and other factions of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (PMF) Forces.

The demonstration comes days after the head of al-Siyada Alliance, Khamis al-Khanjar, called for the return of displaced people to the area, and reiterated his commitment to holding Eid prayers there soon.

Protesters held up signs rejecting the "return of terrorism" to the area, saying, "We will not forget the suicide belts and boom-mobiles that used to come from Jurf al-Sakhar."

Others held up a banner that read, "The people of Babel have not forgotten the blood of their deaders in the bombing of al-Sha'ab Street, which was caused by the terrorism of Jurf al-Sakhar."
Related:
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2022-12-07 Suspected ISIS suicide bomber kills 2 PMF fighters in Babil
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2022-11-25 A leader of Saraya Al-Salam was killed in Maysan, another injured
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2022-09-22 Al-Sadr military wing forces kill an ISIS member in Samarra
Related:
Hezbollah brigades: 2022-02-07 PMF military convoys enter al-Anbar
Hezbollah brigades: 2021-12-20 IED explosion targets a convoy of the Coalition in al-Anbar, Hezb Brigades sez wusn’t them
Hezbollah brigades: 2019-12-30 Abu Ali al-Khazali was a close associate of Qassem Suleimani - killed by USAF.
Link


Iraq
Suspected ISIS suicide bomber kills 2 PMF fighters in Babil
2022-12-07
[Rudaw] A suspected Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) jacket wallah on Tuesday killed two fighters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) in Babil province amid an operation to clear the area of the terror group, Iraqi state media reported, citing a statement from the PMF.

The force said that they dispatched several brigades to the town of Jurf al-Nasr (formerly Jurf al-Sakhar) in northern Babil province, around 60 kilometers southwest of Baghdad after obtaining intelligence about the presence of ISIS cells in the area.

"The enemy was engaged and those in the festivities were killed as a result of a suicide bomber detonating himself," the PMF said, adding that three of its fighters were maimed during the festivities.

Link


Iraq
A leader of Saraya Al-Salam was killed in Maysan, another injured
2022-11-25
[Shafaq News] On Thursday, a leader in the Saraya al-Salam (Peace Brigades) faction was killed, and another was maimed in an armed attack in the Maysan governorate, southern Iraq.

A local source told Shafaq News agency that unidentified gunnies killed a high-ranking commander and maimed another.

The maimed is in critical health condition. The source said.

The security services cordoned off the scene to find the perpetrators.

Saraya al-Salam, headed by Mustafa al-Hamidawi, is the military wing of the Sadrist Movement led by the Shiite Cleric Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
; it is basically responsible for securing the Samarra district, which includes the shrine of two of the 12 revered Shi'ite imams.

The faction is a 2014 Mahdi Army revival that confronted the US forces in Iraq.

The Brigades has been involved in the fight against ISIS in many regions of Iraq, including Samarra, Diyala, Amerli, Jurf al-Sakhar, and Ishaqi districts.

After declaring victory over ISIS, former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi decided to join the popular armed forces with the army and police formations.

The Brigades are now a part of Popular Mobilization Forces but under the direct command of al-Sadr.
Link


Iraq
Al-Sadr military wing forces kill an ISIS member in Samarra
2022-09-22
[Shafaq News] On Wednesday, a terrorist was killed, and another fled southeast of Samarra, southeast of Tikrit
...birthplace of Saddam Hussein...
A security source told Shafaq News Agency that a force from the Saraya al-Salam Samarra Operations Command ambushed two ISIS members in Jalam Samarra, which resulted in the death of one terrorist. At the same time, the other was able to run away.

The Saraya al-Salam forces continued to look for the ISIS terrorist, and a joint support force arrived at the scene.

Saraya al-Salam (Al-Salam Brigades), headed by Mustafa al-Hamidawi, is the military wing of the Sadrist Movement led by the Shiite Cleric Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
; it is responsible for securing the Samarra district, which includes the shrine of two of the 12 revered Shi'ite imams.

A 2014 Mahdi Army revival confronted the US forces in Iraq.

The Brigades has been involved in the fight against ISIS in many regions of Iraq, including Samarra, Diyala, Amerli, Jurf al-Sakhar, and Ishaqi district.
Link


Iraq
ISIS killed members of Saraya Al-Salam in Samarra
2022-07-26
[Shafaq News] Two members of Saraya al-Salam, the military wing of the Sadrist movement, were killed in confrontations with ISIS in Samarra, Saladin Governorate.

In a statement, al-Saraya said that Basem Shalageh and Muhannad Shehab were killed while "defencding the homeland and the sanctities from the takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...
enemy (ISIS) in al-Nakhwa Street in Samarra."

Meanwhile,
...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck slipped the habañero into the roasted jalapeño...
a security source told Shafaq News Agency that two members of the 314th Brigade of Saraya al-Salam Brigade were killed, and three others were maimed in the attack within the Samarra Operations Sector.

The source indicated that the Saraya killed the two terrorists.

Saraya al-Salam (Al-Salam Brigades), headed by Mustafa al-Hamidawi, is the military wing of the Sadrist Movement led by the Shiite Cleric Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
; it is responsible for securing the Samarra district, which includes the shrine of two of the 12 revered Shi'ite imams.

The 2014 Mahdi Army revival confronted the US forces in Iraq.

The Brigades has been involved in the fight against ISIS in many regions of Iraq, including Samarra, Diyala, Amerli, Jurf al-Sakhar, and Ishaqi district.

After declaring victory over ISIS, former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi decided to join the popular armed forces with the army and police formations.

The Brigades are now a part of Popular Mobilization Forces but under the direct command of al-Sadr.
Link


Iraq
Iranian proxies rearming in Iraq
2021-02-03
[SouthFront]The second month of 2021 began with preparations by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) for new round of hostilities.

Kata’ib Hezbollah received short and medium range rockets through Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Kata’ib Hezbollah is a key member of the PMU, actively participates in the fight against ISIS since the emergence of the group in Iraq, and is a vocal supporter of the current attempts to oust the US presence from Iraq.

At the same time, the PMU are subject to more and more frequent ISIS attacks in recent days. As the terrorists appear to be popping up all around. On January 31st, the PMU said they repelled an ISIS attack in the region of Jurf al-Sakhar in the province of Babil.

These apparent appearances by ISIS members coincide with reports by pro-Iranian sources blaming the US for airlifting them. On January 31st, in an interview with the al-Maloumeh news website, Sabah al-Akili claimed that the US military airlifts ISIS units into areas behind PMU positions in the Jurf al-Sakhar region.

So far, US President Joe Biden’s policy for the Middle East is incredibly unsurprising. Any potential withdrawals appear to be nothing more than a pipe dream. The first-ever African American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw was being reconsidered. Not only that, but it is likely that the deployments need to be increased.

Attacks on US supply convoys have become commonplace, all of them being blamed on the PMU. However, responsibility for the most recent attack was assumed by the Qasim Al-Jabbarin group, which does not declare its affiliation with the PMU.

With the US still leading the way for NATO in the entire region, any exit also from Afghanistan becomes more fiction than reality. This will, in turn, lead to increased Taliban activity, since the peace deal is not being honored.

US troops remaining in Syria is also indisputable, judging by the deployments that have recently taken place.

The responses to these refusals to withdraw will lead to more frequent attacks and accusations from the Axis of Resistance. The answer from the Iran-led group will be not only against the US presence, but also against its allies in the face of Israel and Saudi Arabia. Yemen’s Houthis are responsible for dealing with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian fighter jets continue their attacks on reported Houthi targets, but mostly civilians. The ceasefire in al-Hudaydah is not being honored. Despite the Kingdom’s best efforts, the Houthis still have the upper hand in the conflict. On January 28th, at least 150 members of the Saudi-backed forces switched sides and went over to the Ansar Allah movement (the formal name of the Houthis). Additionally, drone attacks are more frequent. The Kingdom reported that it repelled several attacks, but such reports were not as common until recently.

That is when Iran deployed brand-new loitering munitions to the Houthis, and a new group made its appearance to target Riyadh’s ambitions on the Arab Peninsula.

Tensions in the Middle East continue deepening. The advent of reports of the airlifting of terrorists is something that’s been rare since the Obama-era. It appears that the region is once again subject to this known and proven method of “diplomatic intervention.”
Related:
Kata’ib Hezbollah: 2020-07-07 Iraqi security analyst Husham Al Hashimi assassinated outside his Baghdad home
Kata’ib Hezbollah: 2020-02-27 US targets Iranian-backed militia active in Iraq
Kata’ib Hezbollah: 2020-01-02 The Media Is Lying About The Attacks On The Embassy In Baghdad
Related:
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2020-03-16 Students and citizens still sit in, calling for overthrowing the corrupt government and political parties
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2020-03-16 American drones flying over Jurf al-Sakhar area, north of Babylon
Jurf al-Sakhar: 2019-04-11 Bomb attack wounds three paramilitary fighters in Iraq’s Babylon
Related:
Babil: 2020-05-05 ISIS conducts new round of attacks in Iraq
Babil: 2020-03-18 Iranians tour Babil province and people threaten to cut off highway if government does not take measures to prevent them
Babil: 2020-03-16 UN Chief voices serious concern over repeated attack in Iraq
Link


Iraq
Students and citizens still sit in, calling for overthrowing the corrupt government and political parties
2020-03-16
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
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