Mahdi Army

Mahdi Army
Mahdi Army
جيش المهدي
	Flags used by the Mahdi Army.
Leaders	Muqtada al-Sadr
Dates of operation	June 2003 – August 2008
Headquarters	Najaf, Kufa, Sadr City
Active regions	Iraq Najaf; Karbala; Baghdad; Basra; Nasiriyah; Kufa; Amarah;
Ideology	Iraqi nationalism; Sadrist Thought; Anti-Wahhabism; Shia Islamism; Shia Jihad; Anti-Coalition; Anti-Americanism; Anti-LGBT ; Anti-Zionism; Antisemitism; Factions: ; Anti-Sunnism
Political position	Right-wing
Status	Dissolved; (the name was still used to refer to successor Sadr led militias including the Promised Day Brigade and Saraya al-Salam)
Size	60,000 (2008)
Part of	Sadrist Movement ; Special Groups (Iraq) (2007-2008)
Allies	Iran (Quds Force) (sometimes); Iraqi Ba'athist and Sunni insurgent groups (sometimes);
Opponents	United States; United Kingdom; Salafi Jihadist insurgents; Iran/Khomenist allied militias (sometimes) Badr Brigades (sometimes); Iraqi Ba'athist and Sunni Iraqi insurgents (sometimes); Islamic State of Iraq; Iraq (Pro-Coalition Forces, 2003–2008); Multi-National Force (2003–2008); Islamic Army in Iraq; Al-Qaeda in Iraq; Mujahideen Shura Council
Battles and wars	Iraq War Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency; ; Iraqi civil war (2006–2008); Operation Ancient Babylon; Siege of Sadr City; Battle of Al Kut; Battle of Najaf (2004); Battle of Diwaniya; Battle of Amarah; Battle of Karbala (2007); Siege of U.K. bases in Basra; Battle of Basra (2008); Iraq spring fighting of 2008; ;

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The Mahdi Army (Arabic: جيش المهدي) was a Shia Iraqi militia founded by Muqtada al-Sadr in 2003 following the American invasion of Iraq. Its stated purpose was to resist the American occupation, protect Shiite areas, holy shrines, including the Imam Ali Shrine, and provide security and services. The Army became known for its fierce battles against coalition forces, most notably in Najaf, Sadr City, Basra, and Dhi Qar in 2004.

The Mahdi Army rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004, when it spearheaded the first major armed confrontation against the US forces in Iraq from the Shia community. This concerned an uprising that followed the ban of al-Sadr's newspaper and his subsequent attempted arrest, lasting until a truce on June 6. The truce was followed by moves to disband the group and transform al-Sadr's movement into a political party to take part in the 2005 elections; Muqtada al-Sadr ordered fighters of the Mahdi Army to cease fire unless attacked first. The truce broke down in August 2004 after provocative actions by the Mahdi Army, with new hostilities erupting. The group was disbanded in 2008, following a crackdown by Iraqi security forces.

At its height, the Mahdi Army's popularity was strong enough to influence local government, the police, and cooperation with Sunni Iraqis and their supporters. The group was popular among Iraqi Police forces. The National Independent Cadres and Elites party that ran in the 2005 Iraqi election was closely linked with the Army. The Mahdi Army was accused of operating death squads.

The group was armed with various light weapons, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Many of the IEDs used during attacks on Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces used infrared sensors as triggers, a technique that was used widely by the IRA in Northern Ireland in the early-to-mid-1990s during the Troubles.

The group was semi-revived in 2014 as Saraya al-Salam in order to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and was still active as of 2016. It participated in the recapture of Jurf Al Nasr and the Second Battle of Tikrit.