Footage of a Shiite militia sniper discussing his battles against America and the Jews has surfaced, thanks to a Middle East watchdog group.
The Shiite militias, who are engaged in the fight against the Islamic State, have been accused of committing atrocities against Iraq’s Sunni population. These militias, most of which fall under the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) umbrella, receive much of their funding and arms from the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorist groups.
Though the Pentagon has sought to downplay the role of Shiite militias in the U.S.-led coalition that recently secured the city of Ramadi away from the Islamic State, sources on the ground claim they are an essential component to their victories.
In a video that has been translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a PMU Shiite militia sniper says he has long been engaged in war against not just the Islamic State, but also against America and the Jews.
He tells the interviewer:
My Name is Abu Tahseen. I was born in 1953. I am 63 years old. I have fought in many wars, including the [Arab-Israeli] war in the Golan [Heights] in 1973. I am a sniper. I participated in the Kuwait war, in the Iraq-Iran war, in [the war] against the Americans, and in [the war] against the Jews. Some wars were just wars. In the Iran-Iraq war, people were led astray and were afraid.
“Today, I’ve killed only two. Two is also nice, no? Usually I kill three or four a day. But the day is still young. There’s still time,” he adds, claiming to have killed 173 people since May.
Tahseen explains to an interviewer that he enjoys his work as a Shiite sniper.
“When I am here, I am relaxed. When I go on vacation, I can’t wait to come back. They gave me a month vacation, but after 12 days, I was back here,” he says.
Tahseen, who is being interviewed on the battlefield, then notices two enemies sitting beside each other. He fires his weapon, then comments: “Sweet, sweet, sweet. Prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad. That was sweet.”