Abu Azrael

Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie (Arabic: أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي), born 1978, known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael, also known as the Angel of Death, is an Iraqi Commander in the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that is fighting ISIS in Iraq. He has become a public icon of resisting ISIS in Iraq among Shia Iraqis with a large following on social media. His motto and catchphrase is "Ella Tahin", literally meaning "Until/into dust" interpreted to mean "Grind you to dust."

Abu Azrael
Native name
Ayoub Falih Hasan
Birth nameAyoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie
Nickname(s)Abu Azrael
Angel of Death[1]
Rambo
Born (1978-04-26) April 26, 1978
Sadr City, Ba'athist Iraq
Allegiance Iraq
Service/branchPopular Mobilization Forces
RankIraqi military commander
UnitKataib al-Imam Ali
Battles/warsWar in Iraq (2013–2017)

Abu Azrael was a former member in Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army which fought against the U.S./Coalition forces during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.[3]

Personal life

Abu Azrael is described in various sources as a Shia Muslim who is a 40-year-old former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion.[4] According to an Iranian source,[5] reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an "ordinary life" when not on the battlefield.[6]

Following incidents where he was filmed desecrating the corpses of ISIS fighters,[7] Azrael stated that he had been told by a senior imam in Najaf that he should pray for penance and "never do such a thing again".[8]

In October 2019, he was severely beaten unconscious by protesting Iraqis at Tahrir Square, Baghdad.[9]

In 2020, he was infected with COVID-19 and suffered lung damage.[10]

Public image

Abu Azrael fought against ISIS, although he has also fought against other militant groups. He has attracted attention in the Middle East, but by the spring of 2015, he had also made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.[11]

He has received a medal of honor from the Representative of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi.[12]

In 2016, he was spotted on the battlefield in the Battle of Mosul.[13]

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Abu Azrael claimed to have been near the Israel-Lebanon border, waiting for "any opportunity" to enter Israel.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Islamic State brutally executes 4 men in response to slaying by 'Angel of Death' - The Long War Journal". Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  2. Amir Toumaj (4 November 2016). "Abu Azrael spotted during PMF's Mosul operation". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. Varma, Aditya (2015-12-02). "Have You Heard Of Abu Azrael, The Iraqi Rambo Who Is ISIS's Worst Nightmare?". ScoopWhoop. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  4. Jaber, Hala (15 March 2015). "Iraq's Rambo roars as Isis loses grip on Tikrit". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  5. ابنا (2016-08-18). ""ابوعزرائیل‌" به قم و زیارت حضرت معصومه(س) رفت + عکس". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  6. "'The Archangel of Death' fighting Islamic State". BBC News. March 17, 2015.
  7. ""Iraq's Rambo" out of favour with his own militia after brutally violent videos". Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  8. "NoCookies | The Australian".
  9. "Mosul joins the protests in Iraq but in a different way - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". al Monitor. Archived from the original on 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  10. "Corona virus damages the lung of "Abu Azrael"". Saudi 24 News. 2020-07-12. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  11. "The Angel of Death is Coming For You, ISIL". Al Jazeera America. March 18, 2015.
  12. ابنا, اختصاصی (2015-05-24). "تقدیر از "ابوعزرائیل" و رزمنده ۸۰ ساله در حرم حضرت عباس(ع) + تصاویر". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  13. ابنا (2016-11-01). "ابوعزرائیل در نبرد آزادسازی موصل آفتابی شد + عکس". fa.abna24.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  14. "Iran Update, October 14, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. October 14, 2023.
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