{{Short description|Sunni militant group (2004–2011)}} {{For|the Syrian rebel coalition|Army of Mujahideen}} {{infobox war faction | name = Army of the Holy Warrior<br /><small>Jaysh al-Mujahideen</small> | native_name = جيش المجاهدين | native_name_lang = | war = the Iraq War | image = Jaish al-Mujahideen logo.png | caption = | active = Late 2004 – 2011 | ideology = Jihadism<br/>Sunni Islamism<br />Iraqi nationalism<br />Anti-Zionism | leaders = | leader = Abu Jandal al-Shamri | clans = | headquarters = | area = | size = | partof = Jihad and Reform Front<br />Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance | predecessor = | successor = | allies = Islamic Army in Iraq | opponents = {{IRQ}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://aliraqnews.com/مكافحة-الارهاب-القاء-القبض-على-قائدجي/ | title=مكافحة الارهاب: القاء القبض على قائد"جيش المجاهدين" – شبكة اخبار العراق | date=8 October 2013 }}</ref><br />{{flag|Norway}}<br />{{Flag|USA}}<br />{{Flag|Israel}} | battles = | url = | designated_as_terror_group_by = {{IRQ}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1239456/middle-east|title = Iraq issues 'most wanted' terror list|date = 4 February 2018}}</ref> }} The '''Mujahideen Army''' (Arabic:جيش ��لمجاهدين; lit. '''Army of the Holy Warrior''') was a Sunni militant group in Iraq. The group first emerged in late 2004.<ref name="Group Profile: Mujahideen Army">[http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=4464 Group Profile: Mujahideen Army] MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base</ref> The Mujahideen Army is one of the founding members of the Jihad and Reform Front as well as a member of the Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance (PCIR). The Mujahideen Army is comprised almost exclusively of native Iraqi Sunni Muslims from tribal areas, including ex-members of Saddam Hussein's military and security agencies such as Fedayeen Saddam, Special Republican Guard, Republican Guard and the Special Security Organization.
==Ideology== Religious in the nature, the Mujahideen Army takes on a more nationalist tone in its rhetoric. The militant group is believed to have an ideology similar to that of fellow Iraqi insurgent group, the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI).<ref name="State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007">[http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/iraqreport0807.pdf State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211214803/http://nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/iraqreport0807.pdf |date=2007-12-11 }} NEFA Foundation, August 15, 2007</ref>
In May 2006 the Mujahideen Army released a statement condemning Iraq's ethnic and sectarian infighting and urged Iraqis to work "with a sense of national and religious responsibility for the sake of future generations."<ref name="State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007" />
In late January 2006, the Mujahideen Army issued a communiqué calling for attacks against Denmark and Norway, in response to the publication of cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in several Danish newspapers.<ref name="Communiqué from the Mujahideen Army of Iraq">[http://www.globalterroralert.com/pdf/0106/mujarmydenmark0106.pdf Communiqué from the Mujahideen Army of Iraq] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200153/http://www.globalterroralert.com/pdf/0106/mujarmydenmark0106.pdf |date=2008-05-11 }} GlobalTerrorAlert.com, January 30, 2006</ref>
They also threatened attacks following controversial comments made by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2006.<ref name="Mujahideen's Army threatens Pope with suicide attack">[http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1157913641658 Mujahideen's Army threatens Pope with suicide attack]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} ''The Jerusalem Post'', September 16, 2006</ref> They announced their intention to "destroy their cross in the heart of Rome… and to hit the Vatican."<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,437461,00.html "Vatikan verschärft Sicherheitsvorkehrungen"], ''Der Spiegel'', 16 September 2006 {{in lang|de}}</ref> thumb|309x309px|The flag of the Army of the Holy Warrior, or Mujahideen Army. Located on "The Battle of the Drawn Sword" published by the Mujahideen army on 11:35. <ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SouSpBeXBc |title=جيش المجاهدين في العراق يقدم الاصدار المميز بعنوان (غزوة الصارم المسلول ) الجودة الاصلية 1080p |date=2025-03-03 |last=المقاومة الاسلامية |access-date=2025-08-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The Mujahideen Army have also taken the unique step of appealing directly to the American public via several English-language videos purportedly produced and distributed by the group.<ref name="The Mujahideen Army Releases Video in English">[http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications29005&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 "The Mujahideen Army" Releases Video in English] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625083238/http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications29005&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |date=2006-06-25 }} SITE Institute, March 22, 2005</ref>
==Attacks== The Mujahideen Army has taken credit for numerous attacks against American forces in Iraq. The majority of these claims are issued in communiqués or videos posted on mujahideen websites.
Some notable attacks in which the Mujahideen Army has claimed responsibility: * The January 2007 downing of a Black Hawk helicopter north of Baghdad.<ref name="Mujahideen Army in Iraq Issues Video of Downing a Black Hawk in al-Niba'i">[http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications256107&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 Mujahideen Army in Iraq Issues Video of Downing a Black Hawk in al-Niba'i]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} SITE Institute, February 26, 2007</ref> * Shooting down an American Apache helicopter in January 2006.<ref name="The Mujahideen Army Issues a Video Depicting the Downing of an Apache Helicopter in al-Taramiya">[http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications138906&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 The Mujahideen Army Issues a Video Depicting the Downing of an Apache Helicopter in al-Taramiya] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625121842/http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications138906&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |date=2006-06-25}} SITE Institute, January 16, 2006</ref>
==Leadership== Little is publicly known about the Mujahideen Army's leadership and command structure.
In October 2005, the U.S. military announced that it had captured Ahmad Ni'mah Khudayyir Abbas (a.k.a. Abu Shihab), a group "lieutenant and propaganda chief" in the Abu Ghraib district west of Baghdad.<ref name="Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist lieutenant and propaganda chief captured">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/11/mil-051124-mnfi02.htm The Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist lieutenant and propaganda chief captured] GlobalSecurity.org</ref>
In a January 2006 statement urging the Mujahideen Army to join the then-fledgling Mujahideen Shura Council, al-Qaida in Iraq identified the emir of the Mujahideen Army as "The Leaping Lion."<ref name="Joining al-Qaeda, Declining al-Qaeda">[http://threatswatch.org/inbrief/2006/01/joining-alqaeda-declining-alqa/ Joining al-Qaeda, Declining al-Qaeda] ThreatsWatch.org, January 31, 2006</ref>
American intelligence analyst Malcolm Nance claims that Mujahideen Army of Iraq was a liaison between former Baath militias like the Fedayeen Saddam and the Islamists. However, most Mujahideen Army commanders appear to be former regime soldiers who were anti-Baathist politically and became Islamist mujahideens after they left army service following the 2003 U.S. invasion.<ref>{{cite book|first=Malcolm W.|last=Nance|title=Terrorists of Iraq|year=2014|edition=2nd|publisher=CRC Group|isbn=978-1-4987-0689-6}}</ref>{{page needed|date=June 2018}} Mujahideen Army spokespeople like Abdul-Rahman Qaisi and Abdullah Umari have been critical of the Baath party and want to turn Iraq into an Islamic emirate free of control from foreign occupation.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * "[https://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/11/iraq-war-al-qaeda-extended.html Al Qaeda in Iraq: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy]", article by Peter & Paul Cruickshank, ''Mother Jones'', October 31, 2007
{{Armed Iraqi groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}}
Category:Arab militant groups Category:Factions in the Iraq War Category:Rebel groups in Iraq Category:Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Category:Islamist insurgent groups Category:2004 establishments in Iraq Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Iraq Category:Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist