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Iranwire – The U.S. Department of State has announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the leader of the Iraqi militia group Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, which is backed by the Islamic Republic.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department offered the reward for any information about Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, also known as Abu Ala al-Walai, the leader of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada. The statement says the group “has killed Iraqi civilians and attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, while also being involved in attacks on U.S. personnel and military bases in Iraq and Syria.”
Al-Saraji is also part of the Shiite coalition that holds the majority of seats in the Iraqi parliament, where he occupies one seat himself. The Tehran-backed group has a history of attacking the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, diplomatic and logistical facilities at Baghdad International Airport, and oil fields operated by foreign companies.
Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada was formed 12 years ago after the fall of Mosul, with the stated aim of organizing volunteer forces to fight ISIS. However, the group has since operated under the influence of the Islamic Republic and in pursuit of its interests.
A few weeks ago, a similar reward was announced for the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, a powerful Iraqi armed group that had kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson last month and held her for a week.
