Abu Azrael
Commander in the Islamic Movement of Iraq From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie (Arabic: أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي; born 1978), known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael, is an Iraqi commander in the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that fought against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. He has become a public icon among Shia's Iraqis, gaining a large following on social media.
Abu Azrael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie |
| Nickname(s) | Abu Azrael Angel of Death[1] Rambo |
| Born | April 26, 1978 Sadr City, Ba'athist Iraq |
| Allegiance | Iraq |
| Service | Popular Mobilization Forces |
| Unit | Kataib al-Imam Ali |
| Battles / wars | Iraqi insurgency (2003-2011) |
Abu Azrael was a member of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, which fought against the U.S.-led Coalition forces during the Iraqi insurgency.[3]
Personal life
Abu Azrael is a Shi'a Muslim who is a former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion.[4] According to an Iranian source,[5] reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an ordinary life when not on the battlefield.[6]
Following incidents where he was filmed desecrating the corpses of IS militants,[7] Azrael stated that he had been told by a senior imam in Najaf that he should pray for penance and never do such a thing again.[8]
In October 2019, he was severely beaten unconscious by protesting Iraqis in Baghdad's Tahrir Square.[9]
In 2020, he was infected with COVID-19 and suffered lung damage.[10]
Public image
Abu Azrael fought against IS, although he has also fought against other[which?] militant groups. By the spring of 2015, he had made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.[11]
He has received a medal of honor from the Representative of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi.[12]
In 2016, he was spotted on the battlefield in the Battle of Mosul against IS.[13]
During the Gaza war, Abu Azrael claimed to have been near the Israel–Lebanon border, waiting for "any opportunity" to enter Israel.[14]
See also
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.