Master of Martyrs Battalions
Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada' (KSS)
The Master of Martyrs Battalions, or Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada' (KSS) (Arabic: Battalions of the Master of Martyrs), officially the 14th Brigade of the PMF, an Iraqi state organ, is a radical Iraqi Shia militia formed in 2013. Kata'ib Sayyid al Shuhada (KSS) is an Iraqi militia that has fought in both Iraq and Syria and is closely connected to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In Iraq, KSS primarily targets the Islamic State (IS).
Following the footsteps of the holy predecessors and what the infallible ones left for us, the Brigades of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) are clothed with the aura of responsibility and what is dictated to them by the sacred act and honorable duty by issuing this announcement statement :
- - The Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades (peace be upon him) fought the hateful American occupation without announcing their identity for security and political considerations, and it has become urgent to reveal our identity as (the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades (peace be upon him) .
- - Responding to the call of religious authority for the importance of the general interests of society .
- - The Brigades of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) have the honor of supporting the political process within its national framework, which aims to serve the citizen and ways to elevate him to the noble humanitarian status and defend his right in a way that suits his dignity, existence and sanctities.
- - The Sayyid al-Shuhada (peace be upon him) Brigades adhere to national unity and reject terrorism and sectarianism .
- - The Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades (peace be upon them) adopts the rejection and defeat of the plans of global arrogance in the region .
- - Striving relentlessly to achieve the sacred goal of liberating Al-Quds Al-Sharif and all other usurped lands and combating the (Western-Zionist ) occupation.
- - Defending and protecting the holy shrines in all parts of the world, as well as confronting anyone who wants to spread division through suspicious motives.
- - Continuing to emphasize that the Zionist entity is a cancerous germ that must be eradicated and confronted .
- - The Brigades of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) have the honor of calling for the preservation of all components of the Iraqi people, defending them, their capabilities and their blood, and demanding all their legitimate rights .
The Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades is one of the Iraqi resistance factions that announced that it targeted the American occupation in Iraq and Syria in response to the crimes of the Israeli occupation entity in the Gaza Strip. The official spokesman for the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, Kazem al-Fartusi, confirmed that the Iraqi resistance factions were established to resist the American occupier in Iraq, then expanded to resist ISIS, and their message is always to resist the occupation.
The Department of States on 17 November 2023 designating Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) and its Secretary General Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. KSS terrorist activity threatened the lives of both U.S. and Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS personnel in Iraq and Syria.
Iran, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its external operations force known as the Qods Force, has supported KSS, KH, and other Iran-aligned militia groups with training, funding, and sophisticated weapons — including increasingly accurate and lethal unmanned aerial systems. KSS, working at times with other U.S.-designated organizations, including KH and Harakat al-Nujaba, has planned and supported attacks against U.S. personnel.
Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The United States remains committed to using all available tools to counter Iran’s support for terrorism and degrade and disrupt the ability of Iran-backed groups to conduct terrorist attacks. The actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, terrorist organizations, leaders, and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, denying them access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks. Moreover, designations can assist law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and governments.
KSS was designated for having committed or attempted to commit, posing a significant risk of committing, or having participated in training to commit acts of terrorism that threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji is being designated for being a leader of KSS.
Al-Fartusi said in an exclusive interview 10 December 2023 with Al-Alam Channel during the “Guest and Dialogue” program under the title “ The Iraqi Resistance and Supporting the Palestinian Resistance during the Aggression on Gaza”: The targeting of the American bases present in Iraq occurred a long time ago, considering that the operations of the resistance factions supporting Gaza are not support. Morally, there are children and women being killed, and there must be a stance in the language of force, not just through demonstrations and popular and political events, considering that there is an enemy who only understands the language of force.
He explained that all the Iraqi resistance factions participated, contributed and supported the resistance operations and postponed their goal, which is to work to remove the occupier from Iraq, and headed to support Gaza and the Palestinian people in general. He added that the Iraqi resistance targeted American bases, whether they were in Iraq or Syria, those bases that carry out air sorties and military activities towards Iraq, as well as support the Israeli occupation entity.
He noted that the extent of the support provided by the United States of America to the occupying entity is represented by the direct policy through the use of its veto power in the UN Security Council, and its continued support for the Israeli occupier with military and other equipment, in addition to the frank and declared position of all American politicians who declare their support for the Israeli entity, and therefore it must be The axis of resistance has a position, and for this reason all targets that are considered part of the Zionist movement have come under the crosshairs of the resistance, whether they are in Iraq, Syria, or outside this environment.
Regarding the United States of America’s classification of the activities of the Sayyid Martyrs’ Brigades as terrorist, Al-Fartusi said that classifying the activities of the Sayyed Martyrs’ Brigades as terrorist, by the head of evil and the forces of evil in the world, is a testimony of its pride and pride, stressing that the activities of the Sayyid Martyrs’ Brigades were never terrorist, but rather activities. Liberation and resistance to the occupier, and this is a right guaranteed by international law.
The spokesman for the Sayyed al-Shuhada Brigades confirmed that these brigades do not rule out that the United States will target their headquarters stationed in Anbar and Baghdad. The American administration has previously carried out operations against the Iraqi resistance and caused a high level of embarrassment to the Iraqi government and all Iraqi parties, when it assassinated the martyr Hajj Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Who was representing the Iraqi security establishment, and the guest of Iraq, Hajj, the great commander Qassem Soleimani, who was under the care of the Iraqis and protecting them on the road to Baghdad International Airport.
He also stressed that the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades had carefully studied the consequences of targeting American bases and had estimated the price and were prepared to pay it, noting that the resistance had taken fortifications despite its limited capabilities to confront American technologies, track down traces, and pursue Iraqi leaders and fighters.
Regarding the announcement by Washington and Tel Aviv that the Iraqi resistance factions now possess advanced weapons, including long-range missiles and deterrent weapons for any future confrontation, Al-Fartusi considered that there are two types of deterrence weapons. The technical deterrence of the resistance does not have a significant air defense system, given that America has air superiority that even exceeds its capabilities. The Iraqi state, especially with regard to the air force, but the resistance defense is capable of creating the equation of attacking with attacking and killing with killing, and this currently exists, stressing that the American occupation is trying to protect itself by abstaining. It is better than trying the resistance’s reaction by striking all the resistance’s headquarters in Iraq despite its ability.
He added that the American occupier was shocked to learn that the resistance factions' responses are sometimes very effective, especially after the range of their missiles and drones extended to long ranges and reached Israeli Eilat, and thus their defensive systems are unable to protect them. He stressed that all American and Israeli targets are within the range of the Iraqi resistance, The occupier must understand the type of resistance weapons .
He said in a statement: “We congratulate the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance competing to win one of the good deeds for their heroic operations, from which the enemy groans and the hearts of the free people warm, while the trembling whisper in fear for their positions linked to the continuation of the occupation.”
Al-Askari confirmed that the “jihadist” operations will continue against the American forces “until the last soldier is removed from the land of Iraq,” noting at the same time that “if the Iraqi government wants to negotiate with the American occupier to remove its forces from the country, we do not mind that, even if we are certain.” It is another lie of the Americans and we will not be fooled.”
Al-Askari warned the American administration against responding to the factions’ attacks, and said, “Any foolishness from the American enemy will be met with a double response and an expansion of operations, and the whisperings of the trembling and prone will not deter us from performing our legitimate and patriotic duty towards our country and our nation.”
Regarding the bombing of the American embassy , he said, “The American evil embassy is still an advanced base for managing military and security operations, and a den of espionage, and some see their pride in lying down to it, and marketing it as diplomatic missions that must be protected, so it is miserable for them and their benefits at the expense of their country, by taking lying down as a means of preserving Their positions will disappear with the end of the occupation.”
The Brigade's security official stressed, "Yesterday's group of operations is only the beginning of a new base of engagement, and the coming days will determine the level of response." At the conclusion of his statement, Al-Askari warned “some members of the security services who are cooperating with the criminal American occupier for false reasons,” and said that “this will make them his lackeys and accomplices in his crimes, and this is what the original Iraqis do not accept.”
