Database: Identifiers of Designated Islamic Terrorist Organizations
Kata'ib al-Shaheed al-Awal: Quwat al-Buraq
Designation Status (as of October 12, 2026)
| US State Dept FTO | Not listed official list |
|---|---|
| US Treasury OFAC SDN (SDGT) | Not listed official list |
| UK Proscribed | Not listed official list |
| EU Terrorist Lists | Not listed official list |
| Canada Listed Entities | Not listed official list |
| Australia Listed | Not listed official list |
Profile written 2016 The profile below is the original Jihad Intel text and has not been updated. Designation status above is current.
Not yet designated terrorist by a Western country.
Base of operations: Iraq
Kata'ib al-Shaheed al-Awal: Quwat al-Buraq ('First Martyr Battalions: al-Buraq Forces') is a Shi'a militia that emerged as part of the wider 'Popular Mobilization' (al-hashad al-sha'abi) trend in Iraq since June 2014. It is led by Wathiq al-Firtousi and is not to be confused with 'Kata'ib al-Shaheed al-Awal'. It is known to operate at the Ayn al-Asad airbase in western Anbar and other areas near the borders with Syria and Jordan (e.g. Rutba and Trebil areas).
According to Firtousi, the formation constitutes the 19th brigade of the Popular Mobilization. He also affirms that there is an affiliation with the militia Ansar Allah al-Awfiya', which is pro-Iranian in outlook. The links have been made clearer on social media in 2016 (e.g. see here).
