Kataib Hezbollah names new security chief after Abu Ali al-Askari’s death

BAGHDAD — The secretary general of Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, announced on Monday the death of the group’s security official, Abu Ali al-Askari, naming Abu Mujahid al-Assaf as his successor.

In a statement, the group said, “With all pride and satisfaction in God’s will and destiny, we announce to you the news of the martyrdom of Hajj Abu Ali al-Askari to eternal paradise.”

The group described the late official as “that brave voice that was not silenced in the face of injustice, and the truthful tongue that planted the meanings of pride and steadfastness in the souls of the mujahideen.”

The statement added that al-Askari served as a “link between the fields of sacrifice and the platforms of truth with his words that derived their strength from the whirring of bullets and the purity of blood.” It further noted that he “was able to break the siege of media falsification, dedicating his life to raising the banner of truth, until he won the medal of martyrdom, to join the caravans of light with those who ‘were true to what they pledged to Allah’.”

Regarding the transition of leadership within the organization’s security apparatus, the statement concluded: “You were good in life and in death, and your tongue that spoke the truth was good. As for the banner that you carried with sincerity, it will not fall or be lowered, and it will be raised by Hajj Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, the security official of Kataib Hezbollah.”

Kataib Hezbollah is a prominent paramilitary group within the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the Popular Mobilization Forces. Abu Ali al-Askari was widely known as the group’s public-facing security spokesperson, frequently issuing high-profile statements on social media regarding the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and regional developments. His successor, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, now assumes the primary responsibility for the group’s security portfolio across the governorates.

The group did not say how or where he was killed.

The death comes amid a sustained wave of airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah positions across Iraq since the regional war began Feb. 28. The PMF said earlier this week that 32 airstrikes had hit its positions across seven governorates, killing at least 33 fighters and wounding 54. Neither Israel nor the United States has claimed responsibility.