Al-Ashtar

Sanctioned entity

Iraq. Named in 8 sanctions listings.

Summary

(also AL-ASHTAR BRIGADES)

Al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB) is a Shia militant group supported by Iran which aims to overthrow Bahrain's Sunni monarchy. AAB was established in 2013 and has incited violence towards the Bahraini leadership. AAB has claimed responsibility for several bombings targeting security forces, including the February 14, 2014, attack on a minibus carrying police officers, which wounded several individuals; and the March 3, 2014, improvised explosive device attack which killed three policemen and injured several others. AAB also claimed responsibility for the killing of an off-duty police officer near Bahrain's capital city, Manama, on January 29, 2017. In 2019, AAB vowed to target American and British interests in Bahrain. On February 3, 2021, Bahrain security services foiled a bomb plot by alleged AAB affiliates. In May 2024, AAB claimed it launched a drone attack against the Israeli company Trucknet, representing the first time the Bahraini contingent of Iran's axis of resistance has actively taken part in the conflict against Israel.

Sanctions and listings8

United Arab Emirates Counter-Terrorism (UNSCR 1373) Sanctions Regime - مدرج بموجب قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (18) لسنة 2017
Executive Office for Control & Non-proliferationUnited Arab Emirates Local Terrorist ListUnited Arab Emirates
Programme AE-UNSC1373uaeiec.gov.ae uaeiec.gov.ae
Canada Counter-Terrorism (Criminal Code) Sanctions Regime
Public Safety CanadaCanadian Listed Terrorist EntitiesCanada
Programme CA-UNSC1373publicsafety.gc.ca laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Listed
19 Jul 2018
Effective
10 Jul 2018
Reciprocal
OFACUS SAM Procurement ExclusionsUnited StatesActive
Prohibition/Restriction
Redacted for Security Reasons
sam.gov
Effective
5 Jan 2022
Official designation
Permanent Committee for Counter-TerrorismSaudi Arabia National Terrorism List (UNSCR 1373)Saudi Arabia
Programme SA-UNSC1373pctc.pss.gov.sa
US Immigration and Nationality Act Section 219
U.S. Department of StateUS Department of State Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsUnited States
Programme US-FTO219state.gov congress.gov congress.gov
Official designation
UK Home SecretaryUK Proscribed Terrorist Groups or OrganizationsUnited Kingdom
legislation.gov.uk gov.uk
Listed
19 Jul 2018
Effective
28 Mar 2025
Reciprocal
OFACUS SAM Procurement ExclusionsUnited StatesActive
Prohibition/Restriction
Redacted for Security Reasons
sam.gov
Listed
10 Jul 2018
Counter Terrorism - FTO
Office of Foreign Assets ControlUS OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) ListUnited States
FTO, SDGT and block
Secondary sanctions risk: section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886
INA
Executive Order 13224 (Terrorism)
Programme US-TERRReference 24723treasury.gov ofac.treasury.gov

Connections14

Members and officers1

Qassim ABDULLAHSanctionedTerrorismDebarredExport controlled
Leader or official of
Born 1988IranBahrain

Other names18

Also known as17

Wa'ad Allah BrigadesImam al-Mahdi Brigadesal-Haydariyah BrigadesAl Ashtar BrigadesThe Wa’ad Allah BrigadesThe Ashtar BrigadesSaraya al-AshtarSaraya Waad AllahIslamic Allah Brigadesسرايا الأشتر (البحرين)سرايامليشياal-Ashtar BrigadesالأشترSarayaSARAYA AL-ASHTARAl-Ashtar Brigades

Weak aliases1

Spellings the source flags as too generic to establish a match on their own.

AAB

Addresses3

Iran
Iraq
Bahrain

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