Leader of Iranian-backed militia killed in eastern Iraq
Wathiq al Battat, the leader of the Mukhtar Army and secretary-general of Hezbollah in Iraq, was killed yesterday in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala. Battat had formed the Mukhtar Army in early 2013 and has received support from Iran's Qods Force. The Mukhtar Army said that Battat was "assassinated today [Dec. 21] by accident in […]Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss write for the Long War Journal:
Wathiq al Battat, the leader of the Mukhtar Army and secretary-general of Hezbollah in Iraq, was killed yesterday in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala. Battat had formed the Mukhtar Army in early 2013 and has received support from Iran's Qods Force. The Mukhtar Army said that Battat was "assassinated today [Dec. 21] by accident in northern Diyala during the struggle with his sons against terrorism," according to a short statement released by the group. The events surrounding the "accident' were not immediately made clear. A source in the Iraqi Interior Ministry told al Quds al Arabi that Battat was killed by "unidentified gunmen," but this has not been independently verified.
The news quickly spread on Twitter, with many Islamic State supporters tweeting that the Islamic State was behind al Battat's death. The claim that the Islamic State was behind al Battat's death cannot be independently verified, and so far the jihadist group has not officially taken credit for his death.
