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On November 9, 2022, London-based Arabic-language Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that according to a German media outlet, Iraqi Shi'ite armed militia Ashab Al-Kahf ("People of the Cave") had issued a press release on November 8, claiming responsibility for the murder of U.S. citizen Stephen Edward Troell in Baghdad's Karrada district on November 7, 2022.[1]
Iraqi security sources reported that two gunmen attacked a vehicle Troell was driving in downtown Baghdad. The victim sustained serious injuries in the attack and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
Retaliation For Killing Of Soleimani, Al-Muhandis
According to the newspaper report, the Iranian-backed Ashab Al-Kahf stated that the killing of Stephen Troell was in "retaliation" for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, Commander General of Iran's Republican Guard Corp (IRGC) Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, Iraqi Deputy Commander of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), who were both killed in a U.S. airstrike on January 3, 2020.
No Claim Yet On Militia's Official Telegram Account
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat did not provide a copy of the press release purportedly issued by the Iraqi militia. Several other Pan-Arab mainstream media outlets, such as Saudi-funded Al-Arabiyah and its affiliate news outlet Al-Hadath, published similar reports but also did not include a copy of the press release.
Recent Threat To European Representatives In Iraq
The official account of Ashab Al-Kahf on Telegram, which usually publishes the group's statements, did not feature the press release claiming responsibility for the murder on its channel.[2] The most recent post on the channel is a message dated October 30, threatening "unpleasant outcome" if the Swedish, Belgian, Dutch, German, and French intelligence services did not "cease their malicious activities" in Iraq and countries of the "axis of Islam," referring to the Iran-allied countries and proxies in the region. The same threat was addressed to MI6, the UK's foreign intelligence service.[3]
A State Department official said Troell was a private citizen with no connection to the government. He worked for Global English Institute, a language school in Baghdad's Harthiya neighborhood, which operated under the auspices of Texas-based non-governmental organization Millennium Relief and Development Services.[4]
Ongoing Pattern Of Threats
Since the killing of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis, several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, including Ashab Al-Kahf, have issued many statements threatening the U.S., claiming responsibility for attacks against the U.S. forces in Iraq and vowing to avenge the death of both leaders.[5]
[1] Aawsat.com (London), November 9, 2022.
[2] Telegram, November 9, 2022.
[3] Telegram, October 30, 2022.
[4] Nbcwashington.com, November 8, 2022.
[5] See MEMRI JTTM report: Iran-Backed Groups In Iraq Claim Seven Attacks On U.S. Logistics Support Convoys In One Day, January 10, 2022.
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