This article is a list of armed groups involved in the War in Iraq (2013–2017). Part of the Iraqi conflict, the war escalated in 2013, following a 2011–2013 insurgency and the rise of the Islamic State. Following the liberation of much of Islamic State-held territory in 2017, only a low-level insurgency continued after. The Islamic State had a major involvement during the war, until it was militarily defeated in Iraq by Iraqi and western coalition forces in December 2017. Baathist supporters and some Sunni groups also fought against the Government of Iraq and its allies. The Peshmerga fought against the Islamic State and other forces during the war; though not against the government, and they did not join the Iraqi forces.
War in Iraq (2013–2017) Republic of Iraq and allies Iraqi Kurdistan and allies Iraqi Tribal, Sunni insurgent groups and allies Islamic State and allies Iraqi government forces Iraqi Armed Forces
1st Division 2nd Division (2014) 8th Division 9th Division 15th Division 16th Division Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service Iraqi Special Operations Forces
Iraqi Navy Federal Police Allied armed groups: Iraqi Turkmen Front Mosul Battalions Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas Free Mosul Movement Retrieved 30 May 2016. Martyrs of Salahuddin Hezbollah Iraqi Communist Party Mukhtar Army al-Jiburi tribe militias Nineveh Guards (formally National Mobilization) Assyrian Forces Nineveh Plain Protection Units Qaraqosh Protection Committee Babylon Brigades Retrieved 3 June 2016. Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam Popular Mobilization Forces Badr Organization Liwa al-Imam Muhammad al-Jawad Liwa Karbala Tashkil al-Karar The Turkmen Brigade Northern Front Quwat al-Shaheed al-Qa'id Abu Muntadhar al-Muhammadawi Tashkil Malik al-Ashtar Kata'ib Hezbollah Saraya al-Dafa al-Shaabihttp://www.ahewar.org/s.asp?aid=435424&r=0 Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba Quwwat Sahl Ninawa Retrieved 3 June 2016. Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Peace Companies Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Quwat Liwa al-Shaheed al-Qa'id Abu Mousa al-Amiri Turkmen Brigades Retrieved 3 June 2016. 16th Brigade Bashir Regiment Sayyid al-Shuhada 52nd Brigade Taza Regiment 92nd Brigade Talafar Regiment Brigade of Imam Hussein Saraya al-Jihad Retrieved 5 June 2016. Kata'ib al-Imam Ali Quwat al-Shaheed al-Sadr (ar) Kata'ib al-Fatah al-Mubin Al-Qa'im Regiment Abbas al-Qitaliyah Division Retrieved 24 July 2016. Imam Ali Fighting Division Kata'ib Jund al-Imam Liwa al-Muntadhar Saraya Ashura Liwa Ali al-Akbar Liwa al-Tafuf Saraya al-Khorasani Liwa al-Taff Quwat al-Shaheed al-Sadr al-Awal (ar) Saraya Ansar al-Aqeeda Kata'ib Ansar al-Hujja Kata'ib al-Tayyar al-Risali Quwat Waad Allah Liwa Ansar al-Marja'iyya Liwa Hashd Shuhada Kirkuk Fursan al-Jubur Jaysh al-Mu'ammal Liwa'a Zulfiqar CJTF–OIR
British Armed Forces
(until 2016) (until 2016) Iran (2014–17) Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Liwa Zainebiyoun Aerospace Force Basij Pakistan (2015–17) Pakistani Army Special Services Group Inter-Services Intelligence Covert Action Division Ba'athist Syria (2013–14) Syrian Armed Forces
Supported by:
Peshmerga Regional Guard Brigades (RGB) KDP-Peshmerga 80 Unit 1st Support Forces Command Zeravani Gulan Special Forces Counter Terrorism Department Rojava Peshmerga PUK-Peshmerga 70 Unit 2nd Support Forces Command CTG Special Forces Kurdistan Commando Forces Golden Force Defense and Emergency Forces (DEF) Êzîdxan Protection Force Retrieved 16 April 2016. Kaka'i Battalion Jazeera Brigade Shabak Battalion KDPS Peshmerga Asayîş CJTF–OIR
(until 2016) (until 2016) Allied armed groups: Kurdistan Communities Union Kurdistan Workers Party People's Defence Forces Free Women's Units Democratic Federation of Northern Syria People's Protection Units Syriac Military Council Women's Protection Units Kurdistan Free Life Party Eastern Kurdistan Units Women's Defence Forces Sinjar Alliance Sinjar Resistance Units Êzîdxan Women's Units Asayîşa Êzîdxanê Retrieved 24 July 2016. (in Northern Kurdish language) Retrieved 24 July 2016. (in German language) Special Forces of Êzîdxan Retrieved 24 July 2016. (in Northern Kurdish language) Kurdistan Freedom Party Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Turkey Ninewa Falcons Battalion Retrieved 27 July 2016. Assyrian/Christian Forces Dwekh Nawsha Nineveh Plain Forces (NPF) Retrieved 3 June 2016. Nineveh Plain Guard Forces (NPGF) Tiger Guards Retrieved 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016. Battalion of the Assyrian Democratic Movement Further support:
Tribal Mobilization General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries (2014)
Naqshbandi Army (until 2015) Anbar Tribal Council (2013–2015) Islamic Army in Iraq (2013–2014) Free Iraqi Army (2013–2014) other sunni insurgents Allied armed groups: Free Syrian Army Supported by: (alleged) Islamic State Military of the Islamic State
White Flags (until 2017)
Notes Ba'athist loyalists and allied Sunni militias mostly attack the Iraqi Army, although there has been a history of fighting with IS dating back to the previous war. Fighting between Iraqi government and Kurdish forces broke out in October 2017. Prior to this, the two had worked together against IS, however fighting between Kurdish forces and Turkmen groups in the PMF had occurred sporadically since 2015. Coalition forces support both the Iraq government and Kurdish forces against IS, but are not involved in their conflict with one another and have urged for peaceful resolution. Turkey supported Kurdish forces against IS until 2017, but have since voiced support for Iraqi forces in their fight against the Kurds. The MCIR reportedly has a truce agreement with the Kurdish Regional Government not to target Kurdish territory, in return for the Regional Government's non-interference in the Council creating an autonomous area outside of the control of the current Iraqi government.
See also Belligerents in the Syrian civil war List of armed groups in the Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon List of armed groups in the Second Libyan Civil War List of armed groups in the Yemeni civil war Combatants of the Iraq War
References