Leader of Iranian-backed militia killed in eastern Iraq

[Valin]

Long War Journal:

Bill Roggio & Caleb Weiss

December 22, 2014

 

Wathiq al Battat, the leader of the Mukhtar Army and secretary-general of Hezbollah in Iraq, was killed yesterday in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala. Battat had formed the Mukhtar Army in early 2013 and has received support from Iran's Qods Force.

 

The Mukhtar Army said that Battat was "assassinated today [Dec. 21] by accident in northern Diyala during the struggle with his sons against terrorism," according to a short statement released by the group. The events surrounding the "accident' were not immediately made clear. A source in the Iraqi Interior Ministry told al Quds al Arabi that Battat was killed by "unidentified gunmen," but this has not been independently verified.

 

The news quickly spread on Twitter, with many Islamic State supporters tweeting that the Islamic State was behind al Battat's death. The claim that the Islamic State was behind al Battat's death cannot be independently verified, and so far the jihadist group has not officially taken credit for his death.

 

Shiite militias, including the Mukhtar Army, have played a key role in battling the Islamic State in the eastern province of Diyala, which borders Iran. Qods Force, the external operations branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, has played a vital role in supporting Shiite militias combating the Islamic State in Diyala and elsewhere in Iraq. Iranian-backed Shiite militias such as the Hezbollah Brigades, Badr Brigades, Asaib al Haq, and the Peace Brigade (formerly the Promised Day Brigade) have all been spotted on the battlefield.

(Snip)