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Armed Militia Announces Responsibility for Death of US Citizen in Iraq

Zayed Hospital, where US citizen Stephen Troll died after the attack (AP)
Zayed Hospital, where US citizen Stephen Troll died after the attack (AP)
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Armed Militia Announces Responsibility for Death of US Citizen in Iraq

Zayed Hospital, where US citizen Stephen Troll died after the attack (AP)
Zayed Hospital, where US citizen Stephen Troll died after the attack (AP)

An armed militia calling itself Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for killing the US citizen, Stephen Troll, in Baghdad on Monday evening.

The group announced in a statement that Troll was killed in retaliation for the killing of the Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, and the commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

However, the investigation committee did not publish the results of its probe into the incident to determine whether it was a criminal or a terrorist attack carried out by an armed group.

Unnamed sources said that if investigations revealed it was a terrorist attack, it would signal the beginning of a dispute with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, mainly that Washington has shown full support to his government.

The Media Cell of the Joint Operations Command said that the Prime Minister had directed the Minister of Interior, Abdul Amir al-Shammari, to form a committee of specialized agencies to investigate the incident.

-Washington is watching

Local media reported that gunmen had shot the US citizen while driving through the Karrada neighborhood and that he died in Zayed Hospital.

Reuters news agency quoted a source in the Iraqi police as saying: "Our initial investigation and eyewitnesses showed that armed men were trying to kidnap the American citizen.”

He said the victim was carrying an identity card that showed he worked as an English language teacher, while sources said that he worked in an aid agency.

The US State Department confirmed that a US citizen has died in Baghdad, one day after police in Iraq said an American was killed in a failed kidnapping attempt.

On Tuesday, one day after Iraqi police announced the death of Troll, the US State Department confirmed without elaborating that Stephen Troll died in Baghdad.

"We are closely monitoring the investigations of local authorities into the cause of the death,” they said.

Later, the US ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, announced that her country was looking forward to a more significant partnership with the government of Sudani.

Romanowski was then received by Iraqi Minister of Finance Taif Sami. She emphasized the US support for Iraq and its peoples, and the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

For her part, Sami praised the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.

-Real Estate in the Green Zone

Meanwhile, sources said that Sudani seems confident of the steps he is taking or intends to take against corruption.

Observers fear that his steps could diverge from the political forces supporting him if he tries to counter their influence or limit their financial or political control.

Sudani hinted at addressing the issue of state real estate in the fortified Green Zone, which includes the government palace, parliament, and many state institutions and embassies, namely the US embassy.

- Ashab al-Kahf

The armed group "Ashab al-Kahf" remained mysterious since it first appeared in 2019, and although it is a front for one of the influential Shiite factions, analysts indicate that it is a "soldier" that implements the agenda of all "resistance" parties in the country.

Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for several violent attacks with explosive devices on convoys since March 2020 and at least one missile attack on the US Embassy.

The factions have generally intensified their attacks since the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, but most of the attacks focus on the logistical support convoys of the US forces.

Washington Institute for Studies claimed there was evidence connecting the group to Asaib Ahl al-Haq, based on an analysis of social media posts and accounts promoting its activities.

Ashab al-Kahf's attacks declined after September 2020, when the group announced on Twitter and Telegram that it "has been betrayed" and felt very let down by the rest of the factions.

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Arab World

Jordan Says its Strikes on Syria Killed More Than 20 ISIS Militants

Syrians stand near a crater following a Jordanian airstrike in the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, 27 October 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
Syrians stand near a crater following a Jordanian airstrike in the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, 27 October 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
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Jordan Says its Strikes on Syria Killed More Than 20 ISIS Militants

Syrians stand near a crater following a Jordanian airstrike in the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, 27 October 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
Syrians stand near a crater following a Jordanian airstrike in the Daraa countryside in southern Syria, 27 October 2026. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI

Jordan said its air force killed more than 20 ISIS militants in strikes on southern Syria on Monday night.

The attacks - which ⁠the kingdom said ⁠on Monday were conducted in coordination with Damascus - avoided ⁠known civilian areas, Jordan's Government Communication Minister, Mohammed al-Momani, said on X on Tuesday.

In Syria, officials said the Jordanian operation killed several civilians and was carried out without notifying Syrian authorities.

A deadly attack struck the Greek Orthodox Church during a funeral in Karak, about 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman, on Friday. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

Earlier on Monday, Jordanian authorities arrested three men for the attack that killed nine and wounded more than two dozen people.

The arrests followed a dawn shootout, and all three men were wounded, officials said.

Later on Monday, the Public Security Directorate identified the three arrested men as brothers Hazzah Zaidan Mohammad and Mishal Zaidan Mohammad, and their brother-in-law Ahmad Sami Hussein. All three are Jordanian. They were taken into custody in Karak.

Arab World

Hamas Hopes Netanyahu Elections Defeat Will Unlock Gaza Ceasefire Plan

People seek cover from a reported drone strike while they were queuing to receive meals from a charity kitchen in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2026. (AFP)
People seek cover from a reported drone strike while they were queuing to receive meals from a charity kitchen in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Hamas Hopes Netanyahu Elections Defeat Will Unlock Gaza Ceasefire Plan

People seek cover from a reported drone strike while they were queuing to receive meals from a charity kitchen in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2026. (AFP)
People seek cover from a reported drone strike while they were queuing to receive meals from a charity kitchen in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2026. (AFP)

Hamas is looking to Tuesday’s Israeli parliamentary election in the hope that it will pave the way for implementing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, particularly reconstruction and the transfer of authority to a Palestinian administrative committee.

Two Hamas sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group’s leadership had sent a message to mediators and the Board of Peace “expressing hope that Trump’s plan and a roadmap agreed upon months ago in Cairo would move forward after the election.”

The message was part of regular communications concerning Israeli violations of the ceasefire, the sources said.

Since the ceasefire agreement was announced in October 2025, Israel has refused to withdraw from positions it occupies in Gaza and has continued daily strikes that have killed more than 1,600 Palestinians.

Hamas appears to be counting on the defeat of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom it accuses of obstructing the agreements while continuing military operations in Gaza through assassinations, killings, airstrikes and destruction.

One source said Hamas regularly sends messages to mediators and Board of Peace representatives detailing Israeli violations and accusing Netanyahu’s government of failing to honor its commitments.

The latest message reaffirmed Hamas’ full commitment to the agreements reached, including a roadmap presented by Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, and approved after a series of amendments.

A second source said Hamas had strongly rejected Israeli allegations that it was planning attacks similar to those of October 7, 2023.

The group denied conveying any such threats through a UN official or other parties monitoring developments in Gaza.

Israeli media had reported allegations that Hamas officials threatened to repeat the October 7 attack during a meeting with a UN official in Gaza. Hamas publicly denied the claims.

The source said Hamas had stressed that recent visits by UN officials to Gaza were strictly humanitarian, aimed at assessing living conditions and residents’ needs amid aid shortages and Israel’s failure to allow sufficient supplies into the territory on a regular basis.

According to both sources, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment, alongside other Palestinian factions, to the ceasefire and full implementation of Trump’s plan and the roadmap.

This would allow the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to enter the territory and assume its duties, while advancing efforts to bring weapons under exclusive control, securing a complete Israeli withdrawal, reopening crossings and allowing heavy equipment into Gaza.

Hamas also called for reconstruction to begin without conditions and for the launch of a comprehensive political process addressing the Palestinian issue.

Arab World

War-Weary Hezbollah Supporters Press Group to Stay Out of New Conflict

Visual artist Lina Jouni searches through rubble for fragments of Israeli munitions that struck a house in the southern Lebanese town of Roumine (AP)
Visual artist Lina Jouni searches through rubble for fragments of Israeli munitions that struck a house in the southern Lebanese town of Roumine (AP)
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War-Weary Hezbollah Supporters Press Group to Stay Out of New Conflict

Visual artist Lina Jouni searches through rubble for fragments of Israeli munitions that struck a house in the southern Lebanese town of Roumine (AP)
Visual artist Lina Jouni searches through rubble for fragments of Israeli munitions that struck a house in the southern Lebanese town of Roumine (AP)

Fears of another devastating war with Israel are fueling discontent among Hezbollah’s supporters in Lebanon, amid concerns that the Iran-backed group could again enter a conflict in support of Tehran.

Hezbollah’s opponents say the growing frustration has become increasingly difficult to contain, particularly amid Israeli threats to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs and fears that up to one million Shiites could be displaced.

Anger has intensified since the latest war, which saw Israeli forces enter around 60 towns and villages in southern Lebanon and destroy another 20, preventing residents from returning and forcing many to rebuild their professional and educational lives elsewhere.

Hezbollah Rebuilds Military Capabilities

Despite the domestic pressure, Hezbollah has spent three months preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel after receiving cash funding from Iran, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese security officials familiar with its activities.

One security source and another close to Hezbollah told Reuters the group had received tens of millions of dollars from Tehran to strengthen its military capabilities.

Four sources familiar with its operations said Hezbollah was rebuilding command-and-control structures that had collapsed during major battles.

However, the group has yet to fully replenish its weapons stockpiles or restore its fighting forces, according to Reuters.

Hezbollah acknowledged this month that explosives seized by Lebanese authorities belonged to it and were intended for use against Israel. A Hezbollah official and a Lebanese security source told Reuters the explosives were specifically intended for explosive drones.

The group will also need to repair command-and-control capabilities after losses on key fronts, including the flashpoint town of Bint Jbeil and the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge, according to one of the Lebanese sources and three security officials.

They said Hezbollah's tactic of operating in small units and rationing the use of anti-tank rockets left some units isolated on those fronts, struggling to confront Israel's remotely operated systems including weaponized drones and armed remote-controlled vehicles.

Hezbollah has not explicitly said whether it would take part in the eruption of fresh hostilities, but its media office said it was wary of giving Israeli leaders any justification to escalate in Lebanon, particularly as the group was concerned about its constituents being displaced once more.

‘We Cannot Be Displaced Again’

Opposition to another war extends beyond Hezbollah’s political rivals to families and individuals within its own support base.

In Beirut’s southern suburbs, residents express growing frustration over the prospect of renewed fighting.

Some say the previous war failed to change the situation and instead deepened the crisis and expanded Israeli occupation. Others are exhausted by repeated displacement, fear and the prospect of returning to temporary shelters.

“We cannot be displaced again,” said Nada, 48, who spent three months with her children in a Beirut shelter during the last war.

Displacement Fears Shape Decisions

Sources familiar with Hezbollah’s internal discussions told Asharq Al-Awsat that the risk of Israeli retaliation had been central to the group’s deliberations over responding to Israeli attacks and demolition operations in southern Lebanon.

They said Hezbollah had considered the possibility of strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and towns deeper inside southern Lebanon.

According to the sources, the decision to delay retaliation reflected concern over the consequences of an Israeli response, rather than an inability to inflict damage.

Avoiding another wave of displacement now takes precedence in decisions involving military action, they added.

Hezbollah official Nawaf Mousawi, responsible for the group’s resources and borders portfolio, echoed that position in an interview with a local platform.

“At this stage, the resistance prefers to spare its people Israeli brutality,” he said.

New Rules of Engagement

Hezbollah’s opponents argue that the latest war has fundamentally altered deterrence and established new, undeclared rules of engagement.

Shiite sources opposed to Hezbollah told Asharq Al-Awsat that an attack on Israeli forces in occupied Lebanese territory could trigger heavy Israeli bombardment, forcing residents to flee southern Lebanon.

They said attacks on northern Israel or targets deeper inside the country could prompt strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

According to the sources, efforts to spare Beirut from bombardment were linked not only to US-Iranian understandings but also to American pressure on Israel to avoid undermining direct US-sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

They argued that pressure from Hezbollah’s own community had become a driving factor in its military decisions, particularly after the latest war and restrictions on Iranian financial transfers had alienated a significant portion of its supporters.

Widening Military Gap

The same opposition sources pointed to the growing military imbalance between Hezbollah and Israel.

They argued that Hezbollah had been unable to restore its former capabilities after the war, partly because of restrictions imposed by the Lebanese state.

Israel’s advantages in firepower and technology, they said, further undermined Hezbollah’s prospects of launching another conflict that could force an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory or halt Israeli operations against the group.

The sources maintained that Hezbollah’s political explanations for avoiding another war in support of Iran overlooked the military constraints now shaping its decisions.