Iraqi militia vows to back Hezbollah in war with Israel

The head of the powerful Iraqi militia Harakat al-Nujaba pledges to stand alongside its Lebanese ally Hezbollah if a new war breaks out with Israel.

Harakat al-Nujaba and Hezbollah have fought side-by-side to bolster Syrian government troops since 2013, most prominently against the Islamic State group in eastern Syria.

The movement’s secretary general Akram al-Kaabi this afternoon visited the tomb of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh to commemorate the 10 years since his death.

“We in the Iraqi resistance stand with Hezbollah, and we will stand with Hezbollah in any Israeli attack or action against it,” Kaabi says.

He pledges to fight “with Hezbollah in a single row, on a single front, just as we stood with them on a single front in Iraq or Syria.”

Kaabi speaks in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong support base.

Both Harakat al-Nujaba and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. They fought alongside Syrian government troops and other allied militia to oust IS from key cities in eastern Syria last year, including Albu Kamal.

— AFP