| Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam | |
|---|---|
| كتائب روح الله عيسى بن مريم | |
| Leaders | Salwan Momika (until 2017) X[1][2] |
| Dates of operation | 2014–present |
| Allegiance |  Iraq |
| Active regions | Iraq |
| Ideology | Assyrian nationalism Assyrian interests |
| Part of | Kata'ib al-Imam Ali |
| Opponents |  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
| Battles and wars | War in Iraq (2013-17) |
Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam (Arabic:كتائب روح الله عيسى بن مريم; lit.The Battalion of the Spirit of GodJesus Son ofMary) is an Assyrianmilitia and subgroup of theImam Ali Brigades, an IraqiShiite paramilitary group. It was first formed and organized during theWar in Iraq (2013-17) to fight againstISIL.
Kataib Rouh was formed in December 2014 as a Christian subgroup of theImam Ali Brigades, itself the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq.[3] Kataib al-Imam Ali entered the war against ISIL in June 2014 as a predominantlyShiite militia backed byIranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Upon the formation of the group, Imam Ali Brigades opened a training session for Assyrianirregulars to take part of.[4]
Indian magazineThe Week noted that the group had operated on the outskirts ofMosul from 2017, and that they had also been sanctioned by theU.S. government since 2018.[5] Amidst other Assyrian militias that took part in theWar in Iraq (2013-17), the number of active fighters in Kataib Rouh Allah was likely much smaller.[6]
The militia was rediscovered after the2023 Quran burnings in Sweden, when a video surfaced ofSalwan Momika delivering a speech addressing the brigade. Momika, an Assyrian fromBakhdida, had previously been connected toRayan al-Kildani and theBabylon Movement, and had been part of theSyriac Assembly Movement.[7] In his speech to the brigade, Salwan said:
“We either live with dignity or die courageously. I am the officer in charge of Kata’ib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam (the Brigade of the Spirit of God Jesus, Son of Mary), which is affiliated with the Imam Ali Brigades, peace be upon him,”.[7][8]
After the liberation of theNineveh Plains from ISIS, the militia has not had any noteworthy public activity.[9] In June 2025, the militia was added to theSpecially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of theUnited States, alongside the larger Kataib al-Imam Ali group.[4][10]
The armed group that operated under Momika functioned in the outskirts of Mosul in 2017. The group has been under US sanctions since 2018.
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