Ya Ali Popular Formations () is a

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

militia group in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. The group has been reported to engage in attacks against Syrians residing in Iraq, particularly those suspected of supporting

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was a Sunni Islamist political organisation and paramilitary group involved in the Syrian civil war. It was formed on 28January 2017 as a merger between several armed groups: Jaysh al-Ahrar (an Ahrar al-Sham facti ...

(HTS), a Sunni Islamist militant and political organization in Syria.

History

A video surfaced showing the group attacking Syrian workers in Iraq. The footage depicted three masked militia members beating and threatening Syrians, accusing them of supporting HTS. One of the militia members was seen carrying a pistol. In a statement, the group vowed revenge against any person they suspect of celebrating violence against

Alawites Alawites () are an Arab ethnoreligious group who live primarily in the Levant region in West Asia and follow Alawism, a sect of Islam that splintered from early Shia as a ''ghulat'' branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate Ali ...

. The group claimed that the Iraqi government inaction has forced them to "take matters into their own hands." The group also said that it will "pursue all Syrians who support Jolani and expel them from the country." The group claimed that it "followed" the activities of Iraqi Syrians on

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

who "praised" the rule of Syria's president Ahmed Al-Shara and the Syrian security forces operations against Assad loyalists.

Iraqi Prime Minister The prime minister of the Republic of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq and the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister. History The prime minister ...

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani Muhammad Shayya al-Sudani (born 4 March 1970) is an Iraqi politician who has been the Prime Minister of Iraq since 27 October 2022. Prior to his premiership, he held a number of ministerial positions; namely, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs ...

condemned the group's attack, and called it a “shameful acts of violence against a number of Syrian brothers working in Iraq.” He has ordered the formation of a security team to track down people responsible for “committing disgraceful acts of violence” against them." Iraqi security forces have also have arrested at least 13 people for "promoting terrorist groups" and "supporting" mass killings of Syrian Alawities. Accounts on social media have claimed that the group is affiliated with the

Popular Mobilization Forces The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF; ), also known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), is an Iranian-backed paramilitary umbrella group that operates within Iraq. Although formally and legally part of the Iraqi Armed Forces and reportin ...

, Iranian backed paramilitary groups, or the

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979 i ...

, a branch of

Iranian Armed Forces The Iranian Armed Forces, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, are the combined military forces of Iran, comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Artesh''), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (''Sepah'') and the Polic ...

. In a video clip featuring the image of the former leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group Sayyed

Hassan Nasrallah Hassan Nasrallah (, ; 31 August 196027 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024. Bor ...

, Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces, Ya Ali Popular Formations and the Kataib Sarkhat al-Quds have threatened to take action in Syria and against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

References

{{reflist 2025 establishments in Iraq Aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime Axis of Resistance Ba'athist organizations Paramilitary organizations based in Iraq Pro-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war