Why Iraqi militant group Kataib Hezbollah has called off attacks against US troops

In a sudden twist of events, the Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, has announced that it has suspended all its military operations against US troops in the region. The announcement came just two days after three US troops were killed in a drone strike along the Jordan-Syrian border, in an attack which the Pentagon said bore the “footprints” of the Iraqi armed group. When asked about the same, a Pentagon spokesperson refused to comment, adding: “Actions speak louder than words.” As the situation unfolds, and people await Washington’s response to the attack, we take a closer look at who is the Kataib Hezbollah and the reason why they have announced the suspension of operations against US troops. The Kataib Hezbollah The Kataib Hezbollah is considered the most powerful armed faction in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias in the country. It was established in 2003 in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The group was founded by Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi — also known by his alias Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes — who was the alleged mastermind behind the US and French embassy bombings in Kuwait in 1983 and the assassination attempt on Kuwait’s emir in 1985. He later died in 2020 in a US drone strike in Iraq, but his group continues to thrive and operate, wreaking havoc. Since being formed, the group has earned notoriety for deadly attacks against military and diplomatic targets, using a combination of sniper, rocket and mortar attacks and roadside bombs. According to US diplomat Ali Khedery, the Kataib Hezbollah is responsible for “some of the most lethal attacks against US and coalition forces throughout the [US-led war in Iraq].” [caption id=“attachment_13673972” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A member of Kataib Hezbollah paramilitary group holds a flag of Kataib Hezbollah. The group was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US in 2009. File image/Reuters[/caption] It is also believed that the militant group is behind the 2016 abduction of more than 70 Sunni boys and men from al-Sijir, and the murder of 49 men from Saqlawiyah. News agency Reuters has reported that the armed Shi’ite group is responsible for than 150 attacks on US forces since the Gaza war began. Their reign of terror is such that they have been declared by the United States as a ‘terrorist organisation’ in 2009. Moreover, Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, their leader, was designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Japan and the United Arab Emirates have also designated the group as terrorist organisations. Since their formation, the group shares the ideology that the borders between Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are Western constructs and US troops in Iraq are ‘foreign occupiers’ and need to be forcefully removed. As of today, the group boasts of thousands of fighters and an arsenal containing drones, rockets and short-range ballistic missiles. Interestingly, the Kataib Hezbollah joined hands with other groups in 2014 and formed the Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a grouping set up to fight Islamic State in 2014 that was subsequently recognised as an official security force. A Reuters report states that while technically the group as part of the PMF comes under the command of the Iraqi prime minister, it operates outside the chain of command, and on several occasions has defied calls on ending attacks on US forces. Suspending attacks on US forces On Monday (29 January), three US troops were killed in a drone strike in Jordan, believed to be the doing of the Kataib Hezbollah, in line with their stance against the US. However, at the time, Iran had denied accusations that it was involved in the attack. [caption id=“attachment_13673952” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A satellite photo shows a military base known as Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan. This is the site where three US soldiers were killed in a drone attack, believed to be carried out by the Kataib Hezbollah. AP[/caption] On the following day, Tuesday (30 January), Kataib Hezbollah Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi issued a statement, suggesting it would not launch any further attacks against the US. “As we announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces — in order to prevent embarrassment of the Iraqi government — we will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways.” The statement further added that the move was being taken to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government. The motive for their move still remains unclear but an adviser to Iraq’s prime minister said the leader’s efforts have paid off. “This is the result of the efforts made by Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani internally and externally with different forces and parties in Iraq, and calls made by the Iraqi government to avoid escalation and avoid causing more tension to ensure the smoothness of the negotiation process and in order to complete the withdrawal (of US troops) from Iraq,” the adviser, Hisham Al-Rikabi, told CNN on Tuesday in reaction to Kataib Hezbollah’s announcement. Earlier on Saturday, the US and Iraq began formal talks aimed at winding down the troop presence. At present, the US has an approximate 2,500 soldiers in the country as part of a larger coalition against the Islamic State. **Also read: Vantage | Will US be forced to join the war in West Asia?** US’ response Immediately in the aftermath of the three soldiers being killed, the US had vowed for action, but cautioned that they were not looking for a war. “We don’t seek a war with Iran. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East,” John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council had said on Monday. “In fact, every action the president has taken has been designed to de-escalate, to try to bring the tensions down.” And on Tuesday, US president Joe Biden said that he has decided how the nation would respond. Biden did not elaborate in his remarks at the White House, but added: “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East.” And when asked if Iran should be blamed, he added, “I do hold them [Iran] responsible in the sense that they’re supplying the weapons to the people who did it.” The White House said on Tuesday that Biden had spoken with the family members of the three troops, identified as Sergeant William Jerome Rivers (46), Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders (24), and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett (23). The US president will attend the “dignified transfer” of their bodies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Friday, the national security spokesman told reporters. With inputs from agencies