Kataib Hezbollah urges Iraqi government to coordinate military support with Syria

BAGHDAD — Kataib Hezbollah have called on the Iraqi government to dispatch official military forces to Syria in coordination with Damascus. The group emphasized that it has not yet decided to send its fighters to Syria, reiterating that its primary focus remains on defending Palestine.

“We are closely monitoring the criminal aggression against the Syrian people,” a spokesperson for the Kataib Hezbollah Brigades said during a press briefing. “We have not yet made a decision to send our fighters to contribute to deterring these criminal groups.”

The spokesperson urged the Iraqi government to take the initiative by deploying official military forces in coordination with the Syrian government. “These groups pose a threat to Iraqi national security and the region,” the spokesperson added.

“Palestine remains our top priority, and we will continue to defend the Palestinian people,” the spokesperson stated.

Kataib Hezbollah, also known as the Hezbollah Brigades, is an Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group formed in 2007. The group is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organization of predominantly Shiite militias. Kataib Hezbollah has been involved in various regional conflicts, including the fight against U. S. forces during the Iraq War, participation in the Syrian Civil War and conducting drone and missile attacks against Israel in support of Gaza and Lebanese Hezbollah.

In late November, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, an Islamist rebel group, along with other opposition groups, launched a surprise offensive in northwestern Syria, capturing significant territories, including parts of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama. This rapid advance marked a substantial shift in the prolonged Syrian conflict, as HTS and allied factions seized over 50 towns and villages, encountering minimal resistance from pro-government forces.

The head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces , Faleh Al-Fayyad, denied news reports on Monday that PMF units have entered Syrian territory, claiming that the PMF operates within Iraq and under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Reuters reported on Monday that pro-Iranian militias, including Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, entered Syria from Iraq to support the Syrian army against opposition forces. These militias crossed near the Al-Bukamal border crossing, aiming to reinforce Syrian government troops in the north, particularly around Aleppo, where recent opposition offensives have challenged government control.

In an interview on state run channel Al-Iraqiya, al-Fayyad stated, “What is happening in Syria has direct implications for Iraq’s national security. The Zionist entity seeks to dominate the region through conflict and arms.”