Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie (Arabic: أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي; born 1978), known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael, is an Iraqi commander in the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that fought ISIS (ISIL) figthers in Iraq. He has become a public icon among Shia's Iraqis, gaining a large following on social media.
Abu Azrael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie |
| Nickname(s) | Abu Azrael Angel of Death[1] Rambo |
| Born | April 26, 1978 Sadr City, Ba'athist Iraq |
| Allegiance |  Iraq |
| Service | Popular Mobilization Forces |
| Unit | Kataib al-Imam Ali |
| Battles / wars | Iraqi insurgency (2003-2011) |
Abu Azrael was a member of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, which fought against the U.S.-led Coalition forces during the Iraqi insurgency.[3]
Personal life
editAbu Azrael is a Shi'a Muslim who is a former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion.[4] According to an Iranian source,[5] reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an ordinary life when not on the battlefield.[6]
Following incidents where he was filmed desecrating the corpses of ISIS militants,[7] Azrael stated that he had been told by a senior imam in Najaf that he should pray for penance and never do such a thing again.[8]
In October 2019, he was severely beaten unconscious by protesting Iraqis in Baghdad's Tahrir Square.[9]
In 2020, he was infected with COVID-19 and suffered lung damage.[10]
Public image
editAbu Azrael fought against ISIS, although he has also fought against other[which?] militant groups. By the spring of 2015, he had made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.[11]
He has received a medal of honor from the Representative of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi.[12]
In 2016, he was spotted on the battlefield in the Battle of Mosul against ISIL.[13]
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Abu Azrael claimed to have been near the Israel–Lebanon border, waiting for "any opportunity" to enter Israel.[14]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Islamic State brutally executes 4 men in response to slaying by 'Angel of Death' - The Long War Journal". Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ Amir Toumaj (4 November 2016). "Abu Azrael spotted during PMF's Mosul operation". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ Varma, Aditya (2015-12-02). "Have You Heard Of Abu Azrael, The Iraqi Rambo Who Is ISIS's Worst Nightmare?". ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
- ^ Jaber, Hala (15 March 2015). "Iraq's Rambo roars as Isis loses grip on Tikrit". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ^ ابنا (2016-08-18). ""ابوعزرائیل" به قم و زیارت حضرت معصومه(س) رفت عکس". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ "'The Archangel of Death' fighting Islamic State". BBC News. March 17, 2015.
- ^ ""Iraq's Rambo" out of favour with his own militia after brutally violent videos". Retrieved 2019-12-26.
- ^ "NoCookies | The Australian".
- ^ "Mosul joins the protests in Iraq but in a different way - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". al Monitor. Archived from the original on 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ "Corona virus damages the lung of "Abu Azrael"". Saudi 24 News. 2020-07-12. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
- ^ "The Angel of Death is Coming For You, ISIL". Al Jazeera America. March 18, 2015.
- ^ ابنا, اختصاصی (2015-05-24). "تقدیر از "ابوعزرائیل" و رزمنده ۸۰ ساله در حرم حضرت عباس(ع) تصاویر". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ ابنا (2016-11-01). "ابوعزرائیل در نبرد آزادسازی موصل آفتابی شد عکس". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ "Iran Update, October 14, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. October 14, 2023.