Tag Archives | Hashd al Shaabi

Before Mosul, a Fourth Battle of Fallujah?

By Simon Kent. Elements of three Iraqi army divisions have cut off Fallujah, bolstered by Ministry of Interior forces and Hashd al Shaabi paramilitaries. According to The Daily Beast, there is new urgency to move into the center of the town, which is a short drive from Baghdad, following a wave of bombings targeting civilians in the […]

ISIS in Iraq Hit by 21 Coalition Air Strikes

By Simon Kent. One of the problems the so called Islamic State have encountered recently is the transition from being a terrorist group to a terrorist army. Of course, an army has far more targets to hit from the air and ISIS continually discover this the hard way. According to the most recent statement from […]

Row Over Paramilitary Salaries

By Simon Kent. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi faces new political pressure over the payment of salaries for the 100,000 strong Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Shaabi, as they are known in Iraq. The Hashd al-Shaabi were formed last summer after a call from the holy figure Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, to defend […]