| Al-Ashtar Brigades | |
|---|---|
| سرايا الأشتر | |
| Dates of operation | 2012–present |
| Allegiance |  Iran (IRGC)[1] |
| Active regions | Bahrain |
| Ideology | Shia Islamism Khomeinism Anti-Sunnism Sectarianism[2] Anti-West |
| Part of | Islamic Resistance in Bahrain[3] |
| Allies | Iran HezbollahKata'ib Hezbollah[4] Shia militias inQatif Houthi movement |
| Opponents |  Bahrain United Arab Emirates[5] Saudi Arabia Israel Palestinian Authority |
| Battles and wars | Iran–Israel proxy conflict Shia insurgency in Bahrain Gaza war Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present) |
| Designated as a terrorist group by | |
Theal-Ashtar Brigades (Saraya al-Ashtar, named afterMalik al-Ashtar[7]), orAAB for short, is the paramilitary branch of theIslamic Resistance in Bahrain, aShia Islamist militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the governments ofBahrain,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,United States,United Kingdom, andCanada.[7]
| Country | Date | Ref |
 United Kingdom | 22 December 2014 | [8] |
| Bahrain | June 2017 | [7] |
 Egypt | June 2017 | [7] |
| Saudi Arabia | June 2017 | [7] |
| United Arab Emirates | June 2017 | [7] |
 United States | July 2018 | [9] |
 Canada | 2019 | [10] |
In June 2017, the al-Ashtar Brigades were designated as terrorist organizations by Bahrain, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.[7] TheUnited States Department of State has designated the group as a terrorist organization, as of July 2018.[7][9] Canada classified the Brigades as a terrorist organization in 2019.[10]
In March 2024, the Department of State of the United States designated the organization as a terrorist organization, stating that the group wants to destabilize and threaten the security of Bahrain.[11]
The al-Ashtar Brigades has stated that it is loyal to the government of Iran, and has adopted branding consistent with theIranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.[12] The name "al-Ashtar" refers toMalik al-Ashtar, a figure revered withinShia Islam but believed bySunni Muslims to have been involved inOthman's assassination. According to sources, this reflects the group'ssectarian nature.[13]
The group is suspected of over 20 attacks in Bahrain, primarily targeting police and security forces.[7]
The first attack of the group was on May 29 of 2013, when a remote-controlled explosive device which blasts near police officers that they were removing a barricades in the village ofBani Jamra,Northern Governorate. The attack wounds at least seven officers.[14][15] The authorities raised alarm bells over this attack, arresting ten militants the next day.[16] On July 17, a car bomb blasts Shaikh Eisa Bin Salman Mosque inRiffa,Southern Governorate. The attack only left material damage.[17] On the next month, a car bomb detonated in front a recreational area inBudaiya, Northern Governorate.[18]
The group was designated a terrorist organization by Bahrain after the2014 Daih bombing.[19][10] Months later, on December 8, an improvised device blasts inDumistan, Northern Governorate, killed a police officer.[20][21] In the next day, an improvised device blasts inKarzakan, Northern governorate, killing a civilian and wounding other.[22][23]
On January 31, 2015, a bomb blasts near a police patrol inMuqsha, wounding two officers.[24] Two months later, the group claimed an attack in the settlement ofKarrana, Northern Governorate, which left two officers wounded.[25]
On January 14, 2017, after a pause of a year, members of Al-Ashtar Brigades attacked an officer in the village ofBani Jamra. The attack happens when authorities announces the execution of three militants.[26][27] On January 29, an off duty security officer was killed by an AAB attack inManama.[10][28]
On May 2, 2024, the organization claimed to have launched a drone targeting the Israeli city ofEilat on April 27, targeting the headquarters of the company Trucknet "in support of the Palestinian cause and our resisting people in Gaza," during theGaza war.[29]
At the same time, Saraya al Ashtar reaffirmed its loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran. "We believe that the commander and ruler of the Islamic religion is the line of the two imams, Khomeini and Khamenei, which is in the original Muhammad approach in confronting the oppressors and fighting back against the tyrants," the group's statement reads.
At the same time, Saraya al Ashtar reaffirmed its loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran. "We believe that the commander and ruler of the Islamic religion is the line of the two imams, Khomeini and Khamenei, which is in the original Muhammad approach in confronting the oppressors and fighting back against the tyrants," the group's statement reads.
