A Twitter account apparently representing Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia based in Iraq that is US-designated terrorist organization, was suspended Wednesday hours after offering “training and advice” for prospective militants in the US.
Joyce Karam, Senior Correspondent at the UAE-based newspaper The National, tweeted Wednesday morning a screenshot of the Kataib Hezbollah post, with a translation:
“In God’s name … Security consultants for Islamic Resistance [Hezbollah] are up and ready to offer direct and indirect training and advice for liberation movements inside the non-United States of America and will assign special locations for that,” the group’s post read.
Twitter Account for militant group #Hezbollah’s security official is offering “consultations and training” for future militants in United States.
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January 13, 2021 5:27 pm
They also ran it on Telegram: pic.twitter.com/y2h0Qfr3IJ
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 13, 2021
The account belonged to Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior leader of the Iran-funded paramilitary group, one of the most powerful in Iraq. Its former head and founder, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed in a US drone strike in Jan. 2020, along with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps head Qassem Soleimani.
Several hours after Karam’s tweet-thread about the account, which had over 18,000 followers, it had been suspended — although she added that another account was still active on the messaging platform Telegram, where users can broadcast public channels. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.
A search on the website for al-Askari’s username revealed statements of support replying to the since-removed Wednesday morning tweet, including messages like “Hizbullah are the victors” and “may God grant you your position in jihad,” and photos in tribute to al-Muhandis.