Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces
| Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces | |
|---|---|
| قوات درع عباس الاستشهادية (Quwat Dera’a Al-Abbas Al-Ishtishadiyah) | |
| Founding leader | Karar Fatah al Subihawi |
| Dates of operation | March 15, 2025 - Present (7 months, 2 weeks and 4 days) |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Ideology | Shia Islamism Jihadism[1] |
| Size | 40,000[2] |
| Opponents |  United States[3] |
| Battles and wars | March 2025 United States attacks in Yemen (Statements)[1][2][4][5] Western Syria clashes (December 2024–present)[4][6] |
Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces (Arabic: قوات درع عباس الاستشهادية, romanized: Quwat Dera’a Al-Abbas Al-Ishtishadiyah)[A] is an Iraqi Shia Militant group.
History
It was created on March 15, 2025. The group called on Iraqis and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces members to join to "jihadist Project".[1] It claimed on March 17 that 40,000 people have submitted membership applications. Iraqi media reported that the group's leader, Karar Fatah al Subihawi, has previously attended Popular Mobilization Forces events and was connected to the former leader of Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Jaysh al Mukhtar, Wathiq al Battat. Battat was a senior official in Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah before he formed Jaysh al Mukhtar in 2013. Subihawi reportedly remained in Damascus, Syria, after the collapse of the Assad regime to “liberate” the Sayyida Zaynab Shrine from the Syrian Interim Government. Subihawi's return to Iraq and the formation of the Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces may reflect concerns among some hardline pro-Iranian Iraqi politicians and militia figures about the Syrian Interim Government. Multiple Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia political figures see the Syrian interim government and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as “terrorists.” This new group could seek to directly stoke sectarian tensions in Iraq. The newly formed Ya Ali Popular Formations announced on March 11 that it has begun to pursue Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members and supporters in Baghdad. CTP-ISW assessed on March 12 that the risk of sectarian violence from Syria spilling into Iraq is increasing due, in part, to the Ya Ali Popular Formations[7][2] in a video clip featuring the image of the former leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.[5] Abbas Martyrdom Shield Forces, Ya Ali Popular Formations and the Jerusalem Cry Brigades have threatened to take action in Syria and against the United States. The Abbas Martyrdom Forces for instance said it would launch martyrdom operations to free Syria and attack American interests for recent strikes upon Yemen’s Houthis. These are all likely connected to members of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq a collection of pro-Iran Hashd factions such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and others. They use front groups so that they can deny responsibility and hope to avoid United States.[4]
Notes
- ^ Also called Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces Brigades and Shield Abbas Martyrdom Brigades Forces.
References
- ^ a b c Sorani, Basnews. "New Iraqi Armed Factions Vow to Target US Over Yemen Strikes". www.basnews.com. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ a b c "Iran Update, March 17, 2025". Critical Threats. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ "New Iraqi armed factions vow "jihad" against US". Shafaq News. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ a b c "New Iraqi Armed Factions Threaten Attacks Upon US And Syria". Musings on Iraq. 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
- ^ a b "Iraq's Iran-backed militias on edge as US hits Houthis in Yemen". The Arab Weekly. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2025-03-20.