Terrorist organizations are rarely random or senseless in their acts of violence. Rather, their attacks are often strategically planned to reflect their ideological goals, operational capabilities, and political objectives. While some groups are selective in targeting military and law enforcement personnel, others adopt a more indiscriminate approach, directing violence toward …

High stakes: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani confronted KH on 9 August, breaking a longstanding pattern of political caution. Image: Tasnim News Agency / Wikimedia Commons Fears over leadership decapitation, calls for restraint from the Iraqi government, and discouragement from Iran were behind the militias’ decision not to get …

The post-2003 security landscape in Iraq has seen the proliferation of dozens of militias identifying with Shiite Islam. Many of these actors are integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – a paramilitary group established in 2014 to counter the Islamic State and later incorporated into the Iraqi state forces …