Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas

Not to be confused with Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces.

The Brigade of Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (Arabic: لواء أبو الفضل العباس, romanized: Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas), also known as the Kata'ib al-Abbas (Arabic: كتائب العباس, lit. ''al-Abbas Brigade''), is a Syrian^[12] Twelver Shia Muslim militia that fought for Ba'athist Syria prior to the collapse of the Assad regime. It is named after the nickname of Al-Abbas ibn Ali, son of Imam Ali.

Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas لواء أبو الفضل العباس
Logo Former shoulder sleeve insignia Ceremonial flag
Leaders	Abu Ajeeb (Secretary General) Abu Hajar (Brigade Commander)  (WIA)[1]
Dates of operation	2012–present
Group(s)	Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham[2]
Active regions	Syria Rif Dimashq Governorate Aleppo Governorate
Ideology	Shia Islamism Anti-Zionism
Size	10,000+[3]
Allies	Iran Ba'athist Syria (until 2024) National Defense Force (until 2024) Hezbollah[3] Iraqi Armed Forces[4] LAAG[5] Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces[6] Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada[7]
Opponents	Free Syrian Army Islamic Front Al-Nusra Front  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Iraqi insurgency[4] Syrian civil war Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013) Damascus offensive[8] Rif Dimashq offensive (March–August 2013) Aleppo offensive (October–December 2015) 2018 Southern Syria offensive[9] War in Iraq (2013-2017)[10] 2023 American–Middle East conflict
Designated as a terrorist group by	United Arab Emirates[11]

The group was formed in late 2012 to defend the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque and other Shia holy sites in Syria.^[13] It rose in prominence in reaction to the desecration of various shrines, heritage sites, and places of worship by Syrian rebels during the Syrian civil war, and subsequently collaborated with the Syrian Army. Its fighters include Shia Damascenes, Damascus-based Shia Iraqi refugees, and foreign Shia volunteers, mostly from Iraq.^[14][10] It fights primarily around Damascus, but has fought in Aleppo as well.^[15]

In May and June 2013, Reuters reported a split had developed within the brigade over finances and leadership which led to violence. Many non-Syrian members subsequently formed a different brigade.^[16]

On 19 May 2014, fighters from the Nour al-Din al-Zanki Brigade claimed to have taken over the al-Abbas Brigade's regional headquarters in Aleppo.^[17]

As the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant made significant gains in Iraq in mid-2014, many its Iraqi members returned home to defend the faltering government in Baghdad.^[18] The al-Abbas Bridge took part in the 2018 Southern Syria offensive in support of government troops.^[19]

See also

• Iraq portal
• Asia portal

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
• Quwat Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
• Holy Shrine Defender
• List of military units named after people

References

1. ZAYNAB’S GUARDIANS: THE EMERGENCE OF SHI`A MILITIAS IN SYRIA Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Christopher Anzalone, Combating Terrorism Center, July 23, 2013
2. "How Iran Is Building Its Syrian Hezbollah". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
3. "Syrian war widens Sunni-Shia schism as foreign jihadis join fight for shrines". The Guardian. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
4. "Shia militia arrive to defend shrines". CNN. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
5. Phillip Smyth (8 March 2016). "How Iran Is Building Its Syrian Hezbollah". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
6. "الأمين العام للواء "أبو الفضل العباس": مازلنا نقاتل بسورية | السورية نت | Alsouria.net". Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
7. "Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada | Mapping Militant Organizations". web.stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
8. "NGO: Fierce clashes in Damascus district". AFP. 19 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
9. "WATCH: Iranian militia leader appears in video in Daraa". Al Arabiya English. July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
10. phillsmyth (18 June 2014). "Hizballah Cavalcade: From Najaf to Damascus and Onto Baghdad: Iraq's Liwa Abu Fadl al-Abbas". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
11. "مجلس الوزراء يعتمد قائمة التنظيمات الإرهابية. | WAM". November 17, 2014. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014.
12. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (14 August 2018). "The History of Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib: Interview". aymennjawad.org. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
13. "Shi'ite fighters rally to defend Damascus shrine". Reuters. 3 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
14. "Iran's Foreign Legion: The Role of Iraqi Shiite Militias in Syria". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
15. Fadel, Leith (26 October 2015). "More Iraqi Paramilitary Arrive in Aleppo Under Orders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard". Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
16. "Iraqi Shi'ites flock to Assad's side as sectarian split widens". Reuters. 19 June 2013. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
17. #حركة_نور_الدين_الزنكي -- السيطرة على غرفة عمليات ابو الفضل العباس في حي الراشدين. YouTube. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
18. "Hezbollah displacing Iraqi Shiite fighters in Syria". Ya Libnan. 14 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
19. "WATCH: Iranian militia leader appears in video in Daraa". english.alarabiya.net. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.