Liwa Dhulfiqar
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| Liwa Dhulfiqar | |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 5 June 2013 |
| Dates of operation | 2013–present |
| Allegiance | Popular Mobilization Forces |
| Active regions |  Syria (until 2024) Iraq |
| Ideology | Shiism |
| Battles and wars | |
Liwa Dhulfiqar (also spelled Liwa Zulfikar or Liwa Dhu al-Fiqar) is a militant organization in Iraq and Syria.
History
[edit]Liwa Dhulfiqar was founded on 5 June 2013, the day of the Hezbollah victory over the rebels in the Battle of Qusayr.[1] The group takes its name from Zulfiqar, the double-edged sword found by Ali in the spoils of the Battle of Badr.[1] It is made up of mostly Iraqi fighters from the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Brigade, the Peace Brigades, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataeb Hezbollah, to fight in Syria alongside the forces of Bashar al-Assad.[1][2]
Ideology
[edit]The Liwa Dhulfiqar is Islamist Shiite, divided between a pro-Iran orientation and a Sadrist orientation. In its propaganda, it displays portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, and Hassan Nasrallah.
Actions
[edit]The group initially operated in Damascus and was based in Sayyidah Zeinab, but in September 2013 it deployed to Daraa Governorate. It fought in Qalamoun in January 2014, then in Eastern Ghouta in the summer of 2014. Recalled to Iraq after the Northern Iraq offensive of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the group took part in the Battle of Tikrit, the Battle of Baiji and the Battle of Jourf al-Sakhr. At the end of 2014, part of the brigade returned to Syria and fought the rebels in the Jobar district, east of Damascus, then in the Latakia governorate in early 2015. Liwa Dhulfiqar then participated in the Battle of Zabadani, the Battle of Jisr al-Shoghour, the Battle of Wadi Barada, the al-Tanaf Offensive, the Badiya Offensive, the Abu Duhur Offensive and the Battle of Eastern Ghouta.[1]
Abuses
[edit]The Liwa Dhulfiqar committed numerous abuses during the Syrian conflict.[2] They are alleged to have executed wounded rebels in the Daraa region in October 2013, massacred 363 civilians (including 92 women and 102 children) in An-Nabk in November 2013, and murdered between several dozen and 150 people in Qalamoun in early 2014.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Puxton, Matteo (22 May 2018). "Liwa Zulfiqar: Iraqi Shiite militiamen in the service of Bashar al-Assad". France Soir (in French). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ a b Dalle & Glasman 2016, p. 260.
Bibliography
[edit]- Dalle, Ignace; Glasman, Wladimir (2016). Le Cauchemar syrien (in French). Paris: Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-69901-1. Wikidata Q134568218.
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