Iraqi Resistance groups signal strategic shifts amid Syrian turmoil

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujabaa, part of the Islamic Resistance (IRI), said on Tuesday they are monitoring developments in Syria.

In a statement, Kataib Hezbollah praised the Syrian army's "legendary resilience" over decades while criticizing the leadership of other Arab militaries. “The Syrian army will remain in the memory of the nation’s honorable individuals, and we hope it regains its national role in the future,” the group said.

The statement warned against rebranding efforts by groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS, stating that their "core ideology remains unchanged," regardless of attempts to present a more humane image. Kataib Hezbollah accused two unnamed states of supporting these factions and held them responsible for attacks on Shia adherents and sacred sites.

The group expressed its intent to engage with new Syrian factions that could contribute to "national balance" in the country.

Harakat al-Nujaba, another prominent faction within Iraq’s Islamic Resistance, warned of what it described as a "British-led operations room" aimed at destabilizing Iraq, mirroring the situation in Syria.

“The events in Syria were not accidental,” the faction said in a statement, alleging that British intelligence, NATO operatives, and Israeli planners orchestrated the unrest via operations headquartered in Turkey. These efforts reportedly included surveillance through drones and satellites targeting Syrian forces.

The group alleged that similar operations are now being directed from within Iraq itself. “This time, the operation room is based in Baghdad, not outside our borders,” the statement read.

Harakat al-Nujaba urged vigilance, claiming the real threat lies internally, with conspiracies being orchestrated against Iraq, stating, “It is peculiar to see such significant attention given to Iraq's borders while neglecting the internal threat! Yes, safeguarding our Iraqi borders is important, but we must not be deceived or overlook the real center of danger in the capital, the central and southern regions, as well as our western and northern areas. This division is being used to distribute the destructive conspiracy, with each region playing its part, as the conspiracy this time will come from within, not from outside the borders.”

Moreover, the statement called for securing Iraq’s borders while focusing on "sources of internal danger," accusing US agents of working to destabilize the country through "the Embassy of Evil" and its local collaborators.

Harakat al-Nujaba’s statement extended its critique to the broader geopolitical situation in Syria, accusing Israel of exploiting the chaos to entrench its position. It claimed that recent developments, including attempts to establish a federal entity in southern Syria's Suwaida region, are aimed at facilitating eventual annexation by Israel.

The group also warned that such moves are accompanied by efforts to disarm Syria of strategic weaponry and secure future normalization agreements between new Syrian leaders and Israel.