Kata'ib al-Imam Ali (), also known as the Imam Ali Brigades, are an Iraqi

Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

paramilitary organization and the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq (Harakat al-Iraq al-Islamiyah), and serves as part of the umbrella organization, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Kata'ib al-Imam Ali rose to prominence during the

War in Iraq (2013–2017) The War in Iraq (2013–2017) was an armed conflict between Iraq and its allies and the Islamic State. Following December 2013, the Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013), insurgency escalated into a full-scale war following Anbar campaign (2013–2014 ...

, when it fought against the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

(ISIL) alongside Iraqi government forces.

History

Kata'ib al-Imam Ali came into existence in June 2014 as the armed wing of the Harakat al-Iraq al-Islamiyah (Movement of the Islamic Iraq) party. While its emergence was linked to the large-scale Shia mobilization after the escalation of Iraq's Sunni Arab

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...

into a full-out civil war, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali is closely connected to older Iraqi Shia Islamist organizations, parties and militias, as well as to the Iranian

Quds Force The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Fo ...

. The group's secretary general Shibl al-Zaydi is affiliated with the Sadrist Movement, and was at one point member of the

anti-American Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment and Americanophobia) is a term that can describe several sentiments and po ...

Mahdi Army The Mahdi Army () was an Iraqi Shia militia created by Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003 and disbanded in 2008. The Mahdi Army rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004, when it spearheaded the first major armed confrontation against the ...

. Kata'ib al-Imam Ali also appears to enjoy the favour of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces, who has at times even personally led the group into battle. Thanks to these links, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali is well-equipped and has been able to recruit veteran militants, allowing a "meteoric growth". Notably, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali has also attempted to rally Christian Assyrians to its cause since its formation, based on a purported affinity between Shia Islam and Christians and the supposed betrayal of the Iraqi Christians by

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan () refers to the Kurds, Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan in West Asia, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdist ...

in course of the Fall of Mosul. In line with these attempts, the group formed its own, though minor, Christian unit, the Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam, or "Spirit of God Jesus Son of Mary Battalions". In late 2014, one of the group's commanders, Abu Azrael, gained prominence after appearing in the media armed with axes, swords and machine guns.The Archangel of Death' fighting Islamic State"
BBC News. 17 March 2015. In 2015, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali began to send its fighters to

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, allegedly to protect the Sayyidah Zaynab Shrine, and participated in the Second Battle of Tikrit. In early 2016, its fighters were involved in the Syrian government offensive to reconquer

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

and Tadmur from ISIL, and later that year, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali took part in the Battle of Mosul and the Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016).

References

{{Militant Islamism Anti-Israeli sentiment in Iraq Anti-ISIL factions in Iraq Anti-ISIL factions in Syria Factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces Pro-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war Shia Islamist groups Islamism in Iraq Paramilitary organizations based in Iraq Military units and formations established in 2014 Anti-American sentiment in the Middle East Military wings of political parties Jihadist groups in Iraq Jihadist groups in Syria Anti-Zionist organizations Anti-Zionism in Iraq Khomeinist groups

History

See also

References