Since Sunday’s airstrikes in Syria targeting militants from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigades, various Shia militias from around the Middle East have sent their condolences or support to the US-designated terrorist group.
Several militias in Bahrain were among the first to send their statements of support. Saraya al Mokhtar was the first within this group, decrying both Israel and United States as being behind the airstrikes. The group also released its new logo with the statement, a logo which adheres more closely to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) branding.
Two other Bahraini militias also released statements, Saraya Waad Allah and Saraya al Ashtar. Saraya Waad Allah, which was behind a deadly attack on a bus near Manama last November, extended its condolences to the Iraqi group before proclaiming it is “ready to stand up in the face of the enemies for the defense of Islam.” Saraya al Ashtar, a group also espousing IRGC branding, also proclaimed its inclusion in the “axis of resistance” and unity with the Hezbollah Brigades in its statement.
Various Iraqi Shia militia groups, many of which also operate inside Syria, sent condolences and messages of support to the Hezbollah Brigades as well. Harakat al Nujaba, a militia controlled by the IRGC, said that it and the Hezbollah Brigades were “partners in blood.” Asaib Ahl al Haq condemned “the cowardly act” and added that the Iraqi militia was in Syria at the behest of the Syrian government to “combat terrorism.” It also implored the Iraqi government “to take action” against the United States for the airstrikes.
Meanwhile, Kata’ib Sayyid al Shuhada, another IRGC-backed militia, decried Israel, the United States, and the Iraqi government for the airstrikes. Harakat al Abdal, another militia that operates in both Iraq and Syria, released a video of a pro-Hezbollah Brigades demonstration in Iraq on its Facebook page. While not explicitly sending its condolences, Lebanese Hezbollah did republish the original statement from the Hezbollah Brigades on the airstrikes on its Central War Media website.
All of these groups, including the Hezbollah Brigades, consider themselves part of the “Axis of Resistance,” which refers to a network of state and non-state actors led by Iran that operates against the United States and its allies in the Middle East and beyond.
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10 Comments
Could have been “friendly fire” for all anyone knows…
As always, the West does a crucial mistake by allying with the Sunni fundamentalists (Saudis, Qataris etc.) who kill us every week by bombings while the Shias have never threatened us.
Silly US Mideast policy…
GAVRILO…Please do some minimal research before coming out with statements like that!!!
Who do you mean by ‘never threatening us’? That makes zero sense. Shia militants have bombed and kidnapped Americans and Israelis all over the world. Not to mention Hezbollah providing the training for Al Qaeda to learn truck bombs which lead to the 1998 embassy bombings, among others.
Can’t argue about allying with the Sunni fundamentalists… but Shia never threatened us? 241 Marines in Beirut might disagree with that contention…
Wasn’t it Hezbollah and Iran who blew up the US Embassy (twice) and Marine barracks in Beirut as well as the Towers in Saudi Arabia? Not to mention the casualties taken from the Mahdi Army in Iraq. No friends of ours…
This looks interesting. I’d like to hear more about the context that you are claiming this in. I too like the others responding find more room for disagreement than for agreement. Here is a video detailing a Houthi attack in Yemen. Just past the minute mark they chant
“God is great!” “Death to America! Death to Israel! A curse upon the Jews! Victory for Islam!” They do it over and over in videos when scoring a hit or launching a big rocket. They could settle for “God is great” but NO! It will only get them US and Israeli intervention. Guaranteed.
They should learn how to desalinate seawater and mind their own business. Often I hear Iran makes threats put in terms of defensive measures as in “if attacked we will yada yada yada” so I’d like to hear more about your claim.
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=9FfYs_1527717550
I hope you respond to the questions posed.
The whole “Al Qaeda and Hezbollah/Iran ran joint training-camps in Sudan or wherever” is a convenient and politicized myth of its time. One which arose out of complete ignorance of fundamental differences between Sunni and Shia ideology.
Salafists would never ‘willingly’ affiliate with Shia groups, because they consider the latter guilty of blasphemy and heresy. Shias consider the Sunni “Rashidun” (Righteous) namely Abu Bakr, Omar and Usman as being usurpers and traitors against Ali, even blaming the second one of causing Ali’s wife’s miscarriage and the first one’s daughter Aisha as being an enemy of Ali and one who misled Muhammad during his lifetime against Ali. Non-Zaydi Shias also give divine attributes to their Imams, which Sunnis consider heresy and polytheism.
Each of those instances constitute blasphemy in Sunni Islamism, and according to so-called Salafists as punishable by death. The “Rashidun” and the “Ummahat Al Mu’minin” (Mother of the Believers) are greatly revered in Sunni theology. Whereas Shias treat them not unlike how Christians view Judas in relation to Jesus.
Can you offer an explanation on the Bin Laden files?
I think the 241 US Marines & Soldiers killed in the Beirut bombing in 1983 would disagree with you. Also, the 19 US Airmen killed at Khobar towers, Saudi Arabia in 1991 may have serious heartburn on your comments too. These were the acts of the Iranian RGC.