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US Charges Iraqi Militia Leader With Terrorism Offenses After Arrest
The US Justice Department said Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah, was arrested abroad and brought to the United States. He faces six terrorism-related charges linked to nearly 20 attacks and plots in Europe, Canada and the US. Authorities described him as operating under a pro-Iran group that has claimed attacks targeting Jewish communities.
May 15, 5:26 PM·2m read1 source
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The US government announced on Monday that it had taken custody of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. The Justice Department said he faces six terrorism-related charges for his involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks.
He was arrested in a foreign country, transferred to US custody and appeared in a New York federal court on Friday. US media outlets reported that the arrest occurred in Turkey. The Justice Department described Saadi, 32, as a senior Kataib Hezbollah member directly supported by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Officials said he and his associates planned, coordinated and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe and two in Canada in recent months. One of those actions was the attempted bombing of a Bank of New York Mellon branch in the Netherlands.
Authorities said Saadi acted in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI, which the department called a component of Kataib Hezbollah. The group has claimed dozens of attacks in Europe since the start of the Iran war, many of them targeting the Jewish community.
Saadi allegedly plotted in April and May to target Jewish institutions in New York, California and Arizona. He discussed these plans with an undercover law enforcement officer, according to the department. Images from his social media accounts showing him with Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC Quds Force commander killed in a US strike in 2020, were released by prosecutors.
