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Ali Musa Daqduq

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Ali Musa Daqduq
علي موسى دقدوق
Born1969 (1969)
Ayta ash-Shab, Lebanon
Arrested20 March 2007
Basra, Iraq
Released16 November 2012
Iraq
Died12 June 2026(2026-06-12) (aged 56–57)
Lebanon
CitizenshipLebanese
Detained at Guantanamo Bay camp
Other names 
  • Ali Mussa Daqduq al-Musawi
  • Hamid Muhammad Jabur al-Lami
  • Husayn Muhammad Jabur al-Musui
Alleged to be
a member of		Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Hezbollah
Charges
  • false identification
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(15), Murder in violation of the law of war
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(13), Intentionally causing serious bodily injury
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(17), Using treachery or perfidy
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(24), Terrorism
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(25), Providing material support for terrorism
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(27), Spying
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(28), Attempted murder in violation of the law of war
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(28), Attempted taking hostages
  • 10 U.S.C. § 950t(29), Conspiracy

Ali Musa Daqduq (Arabic: علي موسى دقدوق, romanized: ʿAlī Mūsā Daqdūq; 1969 – 12 June 2026) was a Lebanese militant who served as a senior Hezbollah leader and advisor to Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali in Iraq.[1]

He commanded Hezbollah's Department 2800 before playing a key role in establishing Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq as part of Unit 3800 following the US invasion of Iraq. He was also responsible for planning the 2007 Karbala provincial headquarters raid, in which five American soldiers were captured and killed during the Iraq War.[2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Daqduq was reportedly born in 1969 in Ayta ash-Shaab, a municipality and village in Lebanon's Nabatieh Governorate.[4][5] Other sources place his birth between 1969 and 1974 in Beirut, Lebanon, or in Karrada, Baghdad, Iraq.[6]

Early militant career

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Daqduq joined Hezbollah in 1983 and was soon appointed head of its Department 2800, the group's special operations unit. He soon advanced through the ranks, eventually taking on the role of directing activities across most of Lebanon, and then in the 1990s became responsible for managing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's personal security.[4][7]

In March 2003, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq under US President George W. Bush, Iran discovered US forces on two frontiers (Iraq and Afghanistan). Tehran feared that the Bush administration would seek regime change and that the US or Israel would attack its nuclear facilities. Iran had one tactic at its disposal: it supported a variety of Iraqi insurgents who targeted American forces.[8] Daqduq was sent to Iraq in 2005 to help Hezbollah and the Iranian Quds Force train Iraqi fighters against Western coalition forces in the country, in a move intended to establish a "resistance axis" in Iraq similar to Hezbollah.[4][9] He oversaw the establishment of several pro-Iranian Iraqi militias, which according to his designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. in 2011, were responsible for the killing of more than 600 American soldiers.[4][10] This included the training of fighters in the Mahdi Army into what became Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH).[11] According to U.S. Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, he would train groups of 20–60 Iraqis at three camps near Tehran, where they would be taught how to use explosives and snipers, as well as intelligence and kidnapping operations.[12]

In May 2006, he traveled to Iran alongside senior Hezbollah member Yussef Hashim to organize these groups into a Hezbollah-inspired structure. During this meeting, he was in contact with Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani and his deputy, Abdolreza Shahlaei. Daqduq went on to make four trips to Iraq that year, monitoring the training and arming of the Iraqi groups. While in Iraq, he served under Hashim, who was the commander of Unit 3800, Hezbollah's division in the country.[13] In June, he became the chief advisor to AAH leader Qais al-Khazali and advised Laith al-Khazali, as well as other members of the organization, serving as a liaison between the Quds Force and the Iraqi militia.[4][7]

2007 capture by the U.S. military

[edit]

Daqduq was captured in a raid by US troops and the G squadron of the British SAS[14] in Basra on 20 March 2007 along with Qais al-Khazali and his brother Laith al-Khazali. During the raid, a 22-page document was seized detailing the planning of several operations, including the 2007 Karbala provincial headquarters raid that killed five U.S. soldiers. The documents revealed that Daqduq was personally involved in military operations, including a plan to abduct a British soldier.[13] Later, in 2012, two Iraqi courts found him not guilty of masterminding the 2007 raid on an American military base and released him from prison.[15] US Intelligence has alleged that Daqduq's testimony during his internment is key evidence for collaboration between Iran and Hezbollah. He is alleged to have been a key facilitator of an IRGC-Quds Force sniper network in Iraq.[12]

On 2 July 2007, US forces identified that they had captured Daqduq.[16] They asserted he was a member of Hezbollah, and was operating with support from Iran. The 2 July press briefing published images of Daqduq's forged identity documents. Iranian officials denied that assertion on 4 July 2007.[17] Daqduq pretended to be deaf and mute when he was captured, and refused to speak for weeks.[18]

In November 2011, Reuters reported that the US was negotiating with the Iraqi government to hold Daqduq in US custody after the US pulled out of Iraq in December 2011.[18] An agreement could not be reached, and Daqduq was transferred to Iraqi custody on 18 December 2011.[19]

Release

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On 7 May 2012, Iraq dismissed terrorism and false documents charges against Daqduq. The case was automatically appealed, and he remained imprisoned until the appeal was heard in the superior court. The United States opposed his release, believing that there was clear evidence against him and that he was likely to commit more acts of resistance against US forces if released. Officials in the military commissions system in the United States began procedures to charge Daqduq with war crimes (specifically, that he killed or ordered killed four US soldiers captured during a raid).[20]

On 16 November 2012, Daqduq was released from Iraqi custody as the Iraqi government determined that it no longer had a legal basis to hold him.[21] Following his release, the US added Daqduq to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order 13224.[6]

Return to Hezbollah

[edit]

Following his release, Daqduq returned to Lebanon and helped train Hezbollah's special forces, including the Radwan Force.[9] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that he served as a commander in the Radwan Force, the Nasser Unit's Operations Department, and as the commander of Hezbollah's infantry unit.[22][23]

According to Israel, he arrived in Syria in 2018 to form Hezbollah's "Golan File" unit, which would operate against Israel from southern Syria and southern Lebanon. The unit was based in the Druze village of Hader and was kept secret from the Assad regime.[24] It was revealed on 13 March 2019 by IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, who accused Daqduq of having come back to Lebanon and then Syria, and founded a Hezbollah-operated network of "a few" Syrian operatives manning outposts in Hader and collecting intelligence against Israeli targets. The accusation included video footage of men walking to and from the outposts.[25]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Daqduq's son, Hassan Ali Daqduq, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria's Quneitra Governorate in December 2023.[26]

On 10 November 2024, NBC News reported, citing an American defense source, that Daqduq was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria.[27] The strike killed nine people, however a Lebanese security source and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Daqduq survived with injuries.[4] On 14 June 2026, Israeli forces announced that they had killed Daqduq in an airstrike south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon on 12 June.[3] His death was confirmed by Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq.[28]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Michael R. Gordon (5 May 2008). "Hezbollah Trains Iraqis in Iran, Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2011. There have been earlier indications of Hezbollah involvement. Ali Mussa Daqduq, a senior Lebanese Hezbollah commander, was captured in Iraq in March 2007. At first he refused to talk, presumably to avoid giving away his Lebanese accent. As a consequence, he was initially dubbed Hamid the Mute by American officials.
  2. ↑ Roggio, Bill (24 November 2024). "Israel kills wanted Hezbollah commander behind the establishment of Iraq's Iran-backed militias". FDD. Archived from the original on 14 April 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Israel claims top Hezbollah commander accused of killing US soldiers slain". Dawn. 14 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "من هو علي موسى دقدوق: رحلة قائد «الجيش السرّي» التابع «مباشرة للسيّد» .. من إيران إلى الضاحية في بيروت". Janoubia (in Arabic). 14 June 2026. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Beeri, Tal (15 June 2026). "Elimination of Ali Daqduq (June 12, 2026)". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Treasury Designates Hizballah Commander Responsible for American Deaths in Iraq" (Press release). United States Department of the Treasury. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 Cafarella, Jennifer (21 November 2012). "Timeline: Ali Mussa Daqduq". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  8. ↑ Al-Marashi, Ibrahim (2 March 2026). "Iran and the US have been at war for decades – and there's no end in sight". The Conversation. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Israeli strike south of Damascus on Sunday: Hezbollah's 'Golan Unit' commander reportedly targeted". L'Orient Today. 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Roggio, Bill; Truzman, Joe (24 November 2024). "Israel kills wanted Hezbollah commander behind the establishment of Iraq's Iran-backed militias". FDD's Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 8 February 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Hezbollah's new terror project mastermind: 'Worst of the worst'". The Jerusalem Post. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  12. 1 2 Burns, John F.; Gordon, Michael R. (3 July 2007). "U.S. Says Iran Helped Iraqis Kill Five G.I.'s". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Hezbollah's Regional Activities in Support of Iran's Proxy Networks". Middle East Institute. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  14. ↑ Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq, St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1250006961 ISBN 978-1250006967, p.222–225, p.275
  15. ↑ Jakes, Lara (3 August 2012). "Iraq won't let U.S. try Hezbollah figure". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012.
  16. ↑ "Press briefing" (PDF). US forces in Iraq. 2 July 2007. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  17. ↑ "Iran heaps scorn on U.S. claim of Hezbollah in Iraq". CNN. 2 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011. An Iranian official slammed what he called 'ridiculous and false claims' from U.S. officials about the 'arrest of a foreign citizen in Iraq and his relation with Iran.'
  18. 1 2 Phil Stewart (3 November 2011). "As troops leave, U.S. seeks custody of key Iraq detainee". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011. With less than 60 days before the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, the United States is quietly seeking to keep custody of its highest profile detainee there, U.S. and Iraqi officials say.
  19. ↑ Lake, Eli (17 December 2011). "U.S. Turns over Terrorism Suspect Ali Musa Daqduq to Iraq". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Healy, Jack; Savage, Charlie (6 May 2012). "Iraqi Court Acts to Free Suspect in Deadly Raid on G.I.'s". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  21. ↑ Gordon, Michael (16 November 2012). "Against U.S. Wishes, Iraq Releases Man Accused of Killing American Soldiers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  22. ↑ "Israel claims killing Ali Mussa Daqdouq, 'a top Hezbollah official'". L'Orient Today. 15 June 2026.
  23. ↑ Bihler, Dennis (14 June 2026). "IDF says it killed Hezbollah commander tied to 2007 murder of US soldiers". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Hizbollah commander captured by UK special forces resurfaces in southern Syria, Israeli military says". The Telegraph. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Israel Defense Forces (12 March 2019). "Previously classified intelligence now cleared for publication: Ali Musa Daqduq, a senior operative in the Lebanon-based terrorist organization Hezbollah, has been operating a new terror cell in Syria". Twitter. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  26. ↑ Roggio, Bill (10 December 2023). "Son of Hezbollah commander behind establishment of Iraqi militias reported killed in Israeli airstrike". FDD's Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  27. ↑ Kube, Courtney (22 November 2024). "Israel kills Hezbollah leader who planned elaborate attack on U.S. soldiers in Iraq". NBC News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  28. ↑ "Sheikh al-Khazali, offering condolences on the martyrdom of Commander Ali Daqduq: He was a model of a dedicated mujahid who devoted his life to defeating the oppressors". Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
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