Saraya al-Salam
Shia militia in Iraq / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saraya al-Salam (Arabic: سرايا السلام)[17][18] is an Iraqi Shia militia formed in 2014. They are a part of the Popular Mobilization Forces and are a partial revival of the Mahdi Army. The name Saraya al-Salam means "Peace Brigades", to signify this the militia also uses a dove as a heraldic symbol. The group's name, together with its logo – which features a dove flying in front of an Iraqi flag – reflects Sadr's effort to maintain a peace with both Sunnis and the Iraqi central government.[7] As of 2022, the group's operations are frozen, although it is still active but in smaller scale.
Quick Facts Founding leader, Foundation ...
Saraya al-Salam | |
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Founding leader | Muqtada al-Sadr |
Foundation | 2014 |
Dates of operation | 2014–2021 (as a Popular Mobilization Forces branch) 2021–2022 (as a semi-governmental political initiative) |
Country | Iraq Syria[10] |
Allegiance | Iraq |
Ideology | Shia Islamism Iraqi nationalism Sadrism |
Size | 10,000–50,000 (2014, independent claims)[11][12] |
Part of |
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Allies | Other Shia militias (de jure) None (de facto)[13] |
Opponents | Islamic State Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (2022)[14] |
Battles and wars | Iraq–ISIL War ISIL insurgency in Iraq (2017–present) |
Flag | Flag of Iraq, used by the group along with the dove.[7] |
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