Iraqi Shiite militia commander close to Qassem Soleimani killed in Aleppo

Asa’ib Ahl al Haq (AAH), a prominent Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militia, confirmed the death of one of its field commanders, Mohammad-Bagher Soleimani, in Aleppo, Syria, on Sept. 22. He was close to Qassem Soleimani (no relation), commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qods Force, which is the Guard’s extraterritorial operations branch.

AAH announced in a statement that Mohammad-Bagher was killed “defending Islamic sanctities.” Iranian media posted images of the two Soleimanis, both of whom are referred to with the honorary title of “Haj.” One photo showed Haj Mohammad-Bagher sitting at the feet of Haj Qassem, with Ali al Yasiri and Seyyed Hamed Jazayeri, the commander and deputy commander of the Khorasani Brigades – an IRGC-backed Iraqi militia formed in 2013 to fight in Syria and “defend the Sayyida Zaynab shrine” in Damascus.

“The images of this popular forces commander [Mohammad-Bagher] alongside commander Haj Qassem Soleimani shows his love and devotion to the courageous commander of Islam,” an obituary in Iranian media wrote.

Read More- The Long War Journal

Image courtesy of The Long War Journal (Qassem Soleimani, middle, with killed Asa’ib Ahl al Haq commander Mohammad-Bagher Soleimani, bottom.)