Reuters spoke anonymous to “six local commanders” of mostly Shiite terrorist militias in Iraq, which it identified as KH, Nujabaa, Kataib Sayyed al-Shuhada and Ansarullah al-Awfiyaa. It described the militias as members of the amorphous “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” group, which emerged in response to the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, in solidarity with the fellow Iran-backed terrorist organization.
The “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” conducted several attacks targeting American bases in Iraq in 2024 in support of Hamas. KH, which is believed to have been the most powerful entity in that coalition, initially announced its intent to launch a war against American forces in the region, but ultimately backed out in late January 2024, stating they did not wish to “embarrass” the Iraqi government.
Iran is also reportedly involved in the process of evolving these militias into a new, presumably more legitimate form. The head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, reportedly visited Iraq in March urging PMF terrorists to retain “discipline” and prevent any unwanted military exchanges with America. The Quds Force is Iran’s external terrorism unit, responsible for coordinating with the country’s many jihadist proxies around the world and reinforcing Tehran’s interests and goals regarding terrorist attacks on foreign enemies.
