Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces (Arabic: قوات أبو الفضل العباس Quwwat ‘Ābū al-Faḍl al-‘Abbās), officially named the Qaeda Quwwat Abu Fadl al-Abbas, is a Shiite militia operating in Iraq, formed following the June 2014 ISIL advances. The force is affiliated with Sheikh Aws al-Khafaji, who was previously aligned with Muqtada al-Sadr. The group claims an affinity with the similarly named Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas group fighting in Syrian Civil War on behalf of the Syrian government.[3][4] QQAFA also appears to have deep links to Kataib al-Imam Ali.[1]
| Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces قوات أبو الفضل العباس | |
|---|---|
 Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces Emblem & Flag | |
| Leaders | Sheikh Aws al-Khafaji Sheikh Abu Kamil al-Lami[1] |
| Dates of operation | June 2014 – present |
| Split from | Sadrist Movement |
| Active regions |  Iraq Syria |
| Ideology | Iraqi nationalism Shia Islamism Anti-Zionism |
| Allies |  Iran Kata'ib Hezbollah Iraq Ba'athist Syria (until 2024)Kata'ib al-Imam Ali[1]  Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas[2] |
| Opponents |  Islamic State of Iraq and the LevantPopular Mobilization Forces |
| Battles and wars | |
In February 2019, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) raided a base belonging to the group, during the raid the group's leader Aws al-Khafaji was arrested by Iraqi forces, the Popular Mobilization Forces claimed that the raid was part of an ongoing operation to crack down on fake groups claiming to be part of PMF in order to commit crimes. The group also never formally declared itself as part of PMF nor had it ever registered as part of PMF with the Iraqi government.[5][6]
The group's leader Aws al-Khafaji has also expressed ideological differences with Iran, and has been critical of Iranian influence in Iraq, and though having a falling-out with Muqtada al-Sadr still adheres to the Sadrist ideology. Khafaji also voiced support for protests in Iraq in mid-2018 over Iranian and Turkish policies causing high salinity in Iraqi water.[6]
During the protests against Iranian policies and influence in Iraq, another commander in the group wrote, "Every noble Iraqi must boycott Iran and Turkey in business, tourism and politics. This is the fate of a country and the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: a non-Arab has shown no compassion for an Arab at all by the Lord of the Ka'aba." Prior to the arrest of the group's overall leader, Khafaji, he made statements in the media criticizing Iran, supporters of the group have claimed that his opposition and criticism of Iran are the real reasons for Khafaji's arrest. Other members of the group have condemned Iran on social media citing that they are not part of PMF as it contains several factions loyal to Iran. The group's branch in Syria and other allied militias composed of Iraqis released a statement condemning the arrest Khafaji.[7]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c "Iraqi Shiite Foreign Fighters on the Rise Again in Syria".
- ^ "الأمين العام للواء "أبو الفضل العباس": مازلنا نقاتل بسورية | السورية نت | Alsouria.net". Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ "Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces".
- ^ "The Militias of Baghdad". Newsweek. 26 November 2014.
- ^ "اعتقال قائد بالحشد الشعبي في بغداد بعد انتقاده إيران". Al Jaazera (in arab). Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ a b "Prominent Iraqi Shia Militia Leader Arrested—The Rise and Fall of Aws al-Khafaji". The Jamestown Institute. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ "The Arrest of Aws al-Khafaji: Looking at the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces".
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