| Special Groups | |
|---|---|
  .svg)  Flags used by organisations inside the special groups | |
| Leaders | Muqtada al-Sadr Qais al-Khazali Akram al-Kaabi Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani Sayyid Ahmad Sajad al-Gharawi Abu Deraa Arkan Hasnawi † Haydar al-Majidi |
| Dates of operation | 2007–2011 |
| Headquarters | Sadr City and southerniraq |
| Active regions | Sadr City and southernIraq |
| Ideology | Shi'aIslamism Iraqi nationalism Factions: |
| Size | Around 60,000+ (before 2008) 7,000+[1] (2011) |
| Part of | Iraqi insurgency iraqi civil war (2006-2008) |
| Allies |  Mahdi army Iran (claimed by US) Ba'athist Syria Russia Hezbollah (claimed by US) |
| Opponents |  Coalition (until 2009) United States Iraqi Security Forces (until 2011) Sunni Insurgents Free Syrian Army |
| Wars | Iraq War |
Special Groups (SGs) is a designation given by theUnited States military to the cell-basedShi'a paramilitary organizations operating withinIraq. The USA states these groups are funded, trained, and armed by the IranianQuds Force, part of theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to theUnited States Department of Defense, 603 American troops in total were confirmed to have been killed by IRGC-backed Shia militias (Special Groups) during theIraq War.[2][3]
According toUS General Kevin J. Bergner, the Special Groups receive between 750,000 and 3,000,000 dollars funding per month from the Quds Force.[4] These groups are separate from but allied with theMahdi Army ofMuqtada al-Sadr. The distinction between these groups and the Mahdi Army became more clear when al-Sadr called for a ceasefire at the end of August 2007 following Mahdi Armyclashes withIraqi Security Forces inKarbala but the Special Groups continued fighting. After the Mahdi Army's disbandment in 2008, thePromised Day Brigades emerged as its successor; however, the largest special group to emerge after theIraq spring fighting of 2008 wasAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq (also known as the Khazali Network). According to the Guardian newspaper in March 2014, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq was controlled by Iran under Quds Force GeneralQasem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020.[5] Another large special group isKata'ib Hezbollah (or Hezbollah Brigades) which started to operate independently from the Mahdi Army and the other Special Groups. Suspected leaders includeQais al-Khazali,Laith al-Khazali,Ali al-Lami,Azhar al-Dulaimi,Akram al-Kaabi,Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani,Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis andAbu Deraa.
Since theIslamic Revolution, Iran has sought to back Shia Islamist paramilitary organizations across the Middle East. Many have been close to the Iranian state, particularly theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, like the Movement of Vanguard Missionaries and theSupreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). During theIran–Iraq War many of these groups fought for Iran, with SCIRI'sBadr Brigade being led by Iranian officers. After the US-ledoverthrow of Saddam Hussein, these Iranian-led militia men returned to Iraq where they retained their autonomy and Iran continued to support Shia Islamist paramilitaries.
In February 2010, Asaib Ahl al-Haq kidnapped U.S. contractor Issa T. Salomi, a naturalized American from Iraq. They released a video of him where he read their demands, calling for the release of all the group's members, including several of the group's leaders who were imprisoned. He was released in March 2010 in exchange for four AAH militants being held in Iraqi custody.[6] Iran supported three Shiite groups in Iraq that tried to attack American bases, statedCommander of US forces in Iraq, US GeneralRay Odierno (1954–2021), on July 21, 2010, during theOccupation of Iraq (2003–2011). The Iranians have "gone to a more sophisticated program with a smaller set of extremists" and are now focusing on three groups, which he identified asKataib Hezbollah,Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), and thePromised Day Brigade.[7]
As of 2011, according to American officials, the Promised Day Brigades was the largest, with over 5,000 fighters. It posed the biggest, long-term security threat to Iraq. Kata'ib Hezbollah was said to have around 1,000 fighters: it was the most reliant on Iranian support. Asa'ib al-Haq was said to have less than 1,000 fighters as of 2011: it received a reported 5 million per month in Iranian funding. The Promised Day Brigades was said to receive the least amount of Iranian funding: it was the most independent of the three.[1]
At the start of theIraqi war against ISIS, the Special Groups joined thePopular Mobilization Forces to fight against theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
| Name | Group | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muqtada al-Sadr | Promised Day Brigade | Spiritual Leader | In Iran,[8] since 2006. Returned to Iraq in January 2011.[9] |
| Qais al-Khazali | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq | Leader | Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[10] released on January 5, 2010[11] |
| Laith al-Khazali | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq | Deputy Leader | Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[10] released June 9, 2009[12] |
| Akram al-Kabi | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq | Acting leader | At large |
| Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani | Sheibani Network | Leader | InTehran, Iran, since 2008.[13] Returned to Iraq in September 2010.[14] |
| Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis | Kata'ib Hezbollah Quds Force | Top Advisor to Kata'ib Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force | Killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 3, 2020 |
| Azhar al Dulaimi | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq | Karbala Raid mastermind | Killed May 18, 2007 by U.S. forces in Baghdad |
| Ali Musa Daqduq | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Hezbollah | Top advisor to Qais al-Khazali Head of Hezbollah operations in Iraq | Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[10] handed over to Iraqi authorities on December 15, 2011[15] Released November 2012.[16] |
| Abu Yaser al-Sheibani | Sheibani Network | Deputy Leader | Captured on April 20, 2007[10] |
| Ali Faisal al-Lami | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (INC) | Senior Commander Political leader | Captured on August 28, 2008,[17] released in August 2009[18] |
| Tahseen al Freiji[19] | Promised Day Brigade | Social Political Leader[20] | At Large |
| Akran Hasnawi | Hasnawi Network | Leader | Killed on May 3, 2008 in Sadr City[19] |
| Mahdi Khaddam Alawi al-Zirjawi[19] | Promised Day Brigade | SG Sadr City Commander[21] | At Large |
| Baqir al-Sa'idi[19] | Promised Day Brigade | Training | In Iran, possibly returned to Sadr City[22] |
| Jawad Kazim al Tulaybani | Promised Day Brigade | Rocket Specialist[19] | At Large |
| Haydar Mehdi Khadum al-Fawadi | Own Group[23] | Leader | At Large[24] |
| SheikhAbd al-Hadi al-Darraji | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (Sadr Movement) | Financer[19] Political/Religious leader | Arrested January 10, 2007,[25] released 26 June 2009[26] |
| Abu Deraa | Own Group AAH since 2010 | Leader High-level commander | Fled to Iran in late 2008. Returned to Iraq in on 20 August 2010.[27] |
| Ahmad Abu Sajad al-Gharawi | Own Group inMaysan | Leader | At Large[28] |
| Mohamed al-Zameli | unknown | Local commander (Wasit) | Detained on 23 January 2009[29] |
| Muhammad al-Tabatabai | Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq | Cleric | At large[30] |
