The Afghan and Pakistani Shia groups Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun played a key role in propping up Assad’s regime in Syria [Getty]
Afghan and Pakistani militants who previously fought in Syria alongside Bashar al-Assad’s regime have relocated to Iraq following the overthrow of the Assad regime prompting an Iraqi parliamentary investigation into their presence.
There are growing concerns in the country that they could integrate into Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups.
The foreign fighters crossed into Iraq between 7 and 8 December, an Iraqi security official told The New Arab‘s Arabic language edition.
The militants, primarily from the Shia Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun factions, were recruited by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and played a key role in propping up Assad’s forces during Syria’s conflict, which broke out in 2011
Originally deployed to defend Shia religious sites, they were engaged in frontline battles across major conflict zones, including Aleppo and Damascus.
Their arrival in Iraq had coincided with the retreat of some Syrian regime troops to the country. The Syrians were granted entry into Iraq on humanitarian grounds through the Albukamal border crossing.
At the same time, thousands of Iraqi militia fighters aligned with the Assad regime also withdrew to Iraq through Anbar and Nineveh provinces, accompanied by foreign militants.
Iraq’s defence ministry acknowledged at the time that it had received Syrian military personnel, but it has denied hosting foreign non-Iraqi militias.
While Iraqi security officials described the number of Afghan and Pakistani fighters as “insignificant”, their presence had raised alarm among lawmakers.
On Thursday, Iraqi MP Adnan Al-Zurfi cautioned against the presence of foreign armed groups in Iraq, saying that they were listed on a global “terrorism” watchlist.
Al-Zurfi, who was tasked with forming a government in 2020, accused the Iraqi authorities of harbouring these factions, adding that their home countries had refused to repatriate them.
“These factions are classified as terrorist organisations, and yet the Iraqi government is allowing them to remain,” Al-Zurfi said. “This poses a serious security threat at a time when Iraq is facing multiple challenges.”
He further alleged that these groups were stationed inside official government camps, warning that their presence could compromise Iraq’s national security.
In response to Al-Zurfi’s statements, Yasser Watout, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary security and defence committee, announced on Friday that lawmakers would launch an investigation into the issue.
“Allowing non-Iraqi factions to operate inside the country is unacceptable and presents a direct threat to Iraq’s security,” Watout said.
Lawmakers familiar with the matter will work with Iraq’s intelligence services to verify the claims and determine the extent of foreign militant activity in Iraq.
“It could also serve as a pretext for US or Israeli strikes on Iraqi soil. We will investigate these reports and take a clear position on the matter,” Watout added.
Some Iraqi politicians also warned that the militias’ presence could leave Iraq open to attack by the US and Israel.
Abdul Rahman Al-Jazairi, a senior figure in the State of Law Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, described the situation as “dangerous” and a “strategic mistake”.
“These factions could become targets for US and Israeli strikes, potentially dragging Iraq into a military confrontation it cannot afford,” Al-Jazairi warned.
Despite official government denials, Al-Jazairi insisted that foreign fighters were present in Iraq, though he said they may be stationed within the bases of unofficial armed groups rather than within the Iraqi military structure.
“Iraq’s internal security is at serious risk,” Al-Jazairi added. “The government must act immediately to remove these factions before they further destabilize the country.”
