The battle in Syria has slowly become a battlefield for different groups and militias, over the time it took a sectarian nature especially once the Shia militants started to play a huge role in the Syrian Civil War. Shia militias have been active in Syria pretty much since the eruption of the Civil War. The Militias have played mostly a defensive role defending mostly holy sites and shrines of the Shia community. Shia militias have proven themselves to be effective and have been active since 2013 in many different places around Syria. Beginning in early 2012, Iraqi Shi`a fighters started to trickle into Syria. Participating Iraqi groups include Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Hizb Allah, the Badr Organization, Harakat Hizb Allah al-Nujaba (Harakat al-Nujaba), and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. There is also the possibility that militiamen affiliated with Moqtada al-Sadr, namely Liwa al-Yum al-Mawud, may be contributing fighters as well. The employment of these Shi`a fighters in Syria has been widespread in major areas of conflict, especially Damascus. Their training, tactics and weapons all come supposedly from Iran. According to different sources Iran has been supplying different weapons and gears for these militias as they have a allegiance to Ali Khamenei the supreme leader of Iran. Many say that these militias have been receiving training from Hezbollah but this is still unconfirmed mainly because Hezbollah is mostly secretive about their military operations . Unlike the oppositions Shia militants hardly film themselves in battle. And when they do it's mostly with disposable phones that they carry around during warfare. Volunteer fighters are clearly fighting in Syria. Yet according to the fighters themselves, members of Shia militias are both vetted by Iranian and Syrian authorities and often endure rigorous training regimens. The first martyr announcements came from Kataib Hizb Allah with the death of Ahmed Mahdi Shuweili in March 2013. The Iraq-based Kataib Hizb Allah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi organization, neither hides its affinity for Iran nor disguises that Lebanese Hezbollah is its role model. Following the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq, Kataib Hizb Allah rejected calls to put down its arms and has continued on a militant path in Iraq. Shia militants are still active in Syria and the USA is not really happy with the course Iran is taking to supply these militants. As these militias have proven to be quite effective in defending areas, the USA believes that Iran is creating additional forces under their command around the Middle East just as they managed to help and build up the Lebanese Hezbollah which proved itself to be a professional effective militia in the region.

• published: 22 Feb 2014
• views: 22903