Free Republic

A movement called Jaish al-Mahdi (The Army of the Mahdi) has emerged in Afghanistan. The leader of Afghanistan's Jaish al-Mahdi is Abu Haris, an Arab commander who fought during the anti-Soviet jihad in eastern Afghanistan (Weesa, September 19). Afghanistan's newly established Jaish al-Mahdi is a combination of Arab and Afghan fighters. In a statement, the movement noted that at its outset Jaish al-Mahdi enjoyed the support of 250 Arab and Afghan fighters, although it is still ambiguous as to which jihadi party these fighters were involved in during the Afghan wars. Today, the group has been attempting to recruit Afghan...

Iraq: more than 600 militiamans Shiites of Sadr placed in detention BAGHDAD - the Iraqi forces of safety and the multinational Force stopped more than 600 militiamans of the Army of Mahdi, of the radical chief Moqtada Sadr Shiite, who wait to be judged by the Iraqi government, announced Monday the American army. More than 16 frameworks placed high of this militia were stopped and one of them was killed, specified the army in an official statement. Five of these frameworks are commanders of groups armed in the popular district Shiite with Sadr City, in the east of Baghdad,...

DIWANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Two dozen Iraqi soldiers were killed in fierce street fighting with Shi'ite militiamen in the city of Diwaniya on Monday in some of the bloodiest clashes yet among rival factions in Shi'ite southern Iraq. Thirty seven people were killed, according to army, militia and medical sources. Five soldiers were posted missing in a battle officials said began late on Sunday when troops tried to detain men of the Mehdi Army militia of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.