Database: Identifiers of Designated Islamic Terrorist Organizations
Harakat al-Abdal
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, Syria
Harakat al-Abdal ('The Replacements Movement') is a Shi'a militia that emerged in 2014 as part of the wider 'popular mobilization' militia trend among Iraq's Shi'a. Ideologically, it identifies with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as illustrated by the regular feature of his portrait on the group's social media, which also advertise material from already well-established Iranian proxies such as the Badr Organization, suggesting close links.
As of January 2016, Harakat al-Abdal has been advertising operations in Syria. According to a media representative for the group, these operations are taking place in the Aleppo area, where a large number of Shi'a militias have been participating in efforts led by Qassem Suleimani to push through the southern countryside into Idlib, break the sieges of Nubl and Zahara to the north of Aleppo city, and push east of Aleppo city against the Islamic State.
