The Dwekh Nawsha (Syriac: ܕܒ݂ܝܚ ܢܦ̮ܫܐ; literally "self-sacrificing") was a Christian military organization created in June 2014 in order to defend Iraq's Assyrian population from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and possibly retake their lands currently controlled by ISIL. The militia defends the Christian cities in the Nineveh province of the historical Assyria region.[3]
| Dwekh Nawsha | |
|---|---|
| ܕܒ݂ܝܚ ܢܦ̮ܫܐ | |
 Dwekh Nawsha emblem | |
| Leaders | Emanuel Khoshaba Youkhana[1] |
| Dates of operation | 2014 – 2018 |
| Allegiance | Assyrian Patriotic Party |
| Motives | Regional defence Armed resistance |
| Active regions | Nineveh Plains, Northern Iraq |
| Size | 250 light infantry[2] |
| Allies | Iraqi Armed Forces Peshmerga Nineveh Plain Protection Units Nineveh Plain Forces Qaraqosh Protection Committee |
| Opponents | ISIL |
| Battles and wars | Battle of Mosul (2016–17) |
The Dwekh Nawsha operates in coordination with the regional and international security forces.[4]
Despite being led by the Assyrian Patriotic Party, most militiamen are not members of the party.[4] Several Christian foreign fighters have joined the Dwekh Nawsha;[5] they include Americans, French, British and Australians.[6][7]
Sons of Liberty International, who had previously trained the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, announced in the fall of 2015 that they would begin training Dwekh Nawsha in their fight against ISIL.[8]
A report by the Assyrian Policy Institute released in June 2020 claimed that Dwekh Nawsha was eventually disbanded and that all of its social media accounts had been deleted.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Christians reclaim Iraq village from ISIS". CBS News. United States. Associated Press. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ "Inside the Christian Militias Defending the Nineveh Plains". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
- ^ "Westerners join Iraqi Christian militia to 'crusade'". World Bulletin. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ a b Henderson, Peter (30 October 2014). "Iraq's Christian paramilitaries split in IS fight". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- ^ Paraszczuk, Joanna (19 February 2015). "The American Vets Fighting Against IS (And They're Not Mercenaries)". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Collard, Rebecca (27 March 2015). "Meet the Americans Who Have Joined an Iraqi Militia to Fight ISIS". Time. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ^ Oakes, Dan; Dredge, Suzanne (16 February 2015). "Islamic State: Australian man joins 'self sacrificers' group Dwekh Nawsha fighting militants in Iraq, calls for international support". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Sons of Liberty International. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ Hanna, Reine (1 June 2020). "Contested Control: The Future of Security in Iraq's Nineveh Plain" (PDF). Assyrian Policy Institute. p. 39. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
The force was ultimately disbanded, and official social media accounts for the Dwekh Nawsha have since been disabled. The force was disbanded soon after.
External links
edit- Westerners join Iraqi Christian militia to fight Islamic State in Iraq – ANI
- Former US soldier joins militia to defend Christian faith in Iraq – PBS
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