OVERVIEW

Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada’ (KSS)

Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada’ (KSS) is an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia and foreign terrorist organization. It identifies itself as a member of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias that formed after the onset of the Israel-HAMAS conflict in 2023 to attack US forces and Israel. The group also has ties to Saraya Awliya al-Dam, a militia front group that has claimed responsibility for attacks on US, Israeli, and Turkish interests since 2020. KSS fought on behalf of the Asad regime in Syria.

KSS formed in 2013 when it split from another Iraqi Shia militant group, Kata’ib Hizballah. Its fighters belong to the 14th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC), a component of Iraq’s security forces. KSS follows direction from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

OPERATING AREAS
Iraq; previously operated in Syria

MEMBERS
Approximately 3,000

TACTICS AND TARGETS
KSS has attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria and has publicly threatened to attack Israel and Saudi Arabia. It receives funding and training from the IRGC-QF and has obtained intelligence and weapons from Lebanese Hizballah. KSS is equipped with small arms and probably has access to armored vehicles through its membership in the PMC. It also has access to uncrewed aircraft systems, some of which Iran provided.

TERRORIST GROUP DESIGNATION
The US State Department designated KSS and its leader, Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji as Specially Designated Global Terrorists in November 2023. The US State Department designated KSS a foreign terrorist organization in September 2025.

KEY LEADERS