Clashes between Iraqi security forces and the Soldiers of Heaven cult during Ashura 2008 marked a second consecutive year of sectarian violence on the holy day.
Key Facts
- Date
- January 18–19, 2008
- Cities affected
- Basra and Nasiriyah
- Opposing group
- Soldiers of Heaven (Iraqi cult)
- Cult leader reported alive
- Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni
- Previous similar battle
- Ashura 2007, near Najaf
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Soldiers of Heaven, an Iraqi religious cult, had previously clashed with security forces during Ashura in 2007 near Najaf, where their leader and deputy Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni were reported killed. Al-Yemeni survived and continued to lead the group, setting the stage for renewed violence on the same holy occasion a year later.
On January 18–19, 2008, during the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Iraqi security forces engaged in armed clashes with fighters of the Soldiers of Heaven cult in the cities of Basra and Nasiriyah. The fighting represented the second consecutive Ashura in which the cult mounted organized armed resistance against state forces.
The battles confirmed that the Soldiers of Heaven remained an active militant threat despite reported losses in 2007, and demonstrated the cult's continued capacity to exploit the Ashura period to confront Iraqi security forces in multiple southern cities simultaneously.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni.