Iran-linked militia calls up thousands of volunteers to fight US forces

An IRGC-linked armed faction in Iraq has urged men across the country to take up arms against any US forces remaining after Dec. 31, claiming to have received tens of thousands of "calls" from citizens willing to help.
Demonstrators hold Iranian flags during a protest on Sept. 15, 2018, against the torching of the Iranian Consulate and the Hashed al-Shaabi party (Popular Mobilisation) headquarters during recent protests in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
Demonstrators hold Iranian flags during a protest on Sept. 15, 2018, against the torching of the Iranian Consulate and the Hashed al-Shaabi party (Popular Mobilization) headquarters during recent protests in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. - HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP via Getty Images
Shelly Kittleson.jpg
Shelly Kittleson
@shellykittleson

ERBIL — Little more than a month prior to the official end to the US “combat mission” in Iraq, an Iran-linked armed group has called for “volunteers” to fight any forces remaining post-midnight Dec. 31.

A man known as Abu Ala al-Walai, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), on Nov. 19 announced a call for volunteers to fight the “US occupation” should troops fail to leave.

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