Dwekh Nawsha

The Dwekh Nawsha (Syriac: ܕܒ݂ܝܚ ܢܦ̮ܫܐ‎; literally "one who sacrifices") is a Christian military organization created in June 2014 in order to defend Iraq's Assyrian population from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and possibly retake their lands currently controlled by ISIL. The militia defends the Christian cities in the Nineveh province of the historical Assyria region.[3]

Dwekh Nawsha
ܕܒ݂ܝܚ ܢܦ̮ܫܐ
Participant in the Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
Dwekh Nawsha emblem
Activemid 2014–Present
Allegiance Assyrian Patriotic Party
LeadersEmanuel Khoshaba Youkhana[1]
Area of operationsNineveh Governorate:

Baqofa, Nineveh plains

Northern Iraq
Size250[2]
Allies Iraqi Armed Forces
Peshmerga
Nineveh Plain Protection Units
Nineveh Plain Forces
Qaraqosh Protection Committee
Opponent(s) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and war(s)Battle of Mosul (2016-17)

The Dwekh Nawsha operates in coordination with the regional and international security forces.[4]

Despite being led by the Assyrian Patriotic Party, most militiamen are not members of the party.[4] Several Christian foreign fighters have joined the Dwekh Nawsha;[5] they include Americans, French, British and Australians.[6]

Sons of Liberty International, who had previously trained the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, announced in fall 2015 that they will begin training Dwekh Nawsha in their fight against ISIL.[7]

A report by the Assyrian Policy Institute released in June 2020 claimed that Dwekh Nawsha was eventually disbanded and that all of its social media accounts have been deleted.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Christians reclaim Iraq village from ISIS". CBS News. United States. Associated Press. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  2. "Inside the Christian Militias Defending the Nineveh Plains". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  3. "Westerners join Iraqi Christian militia to 'crusade'". World Bulletin. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  4. Henderson, Peter (30 October 2014). "Iraq's Christian paramilitaries split in IS fight". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  5. Paraszczuk, Joanna (19 February 2015). "The American Vets Fighting Against IS (And They're Not Mercenaries)". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  6. Collard, Rebecca (27 March 2015). "Meet the Americans Who Have Joined an Iraqi Militia to Fight ISIS". Time. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
    Oakes, Dan; Dredge, Suzanne (16 February 2015). "Islamic State: Australian man joins 'self sacrificers' group Dwekh Nawsha fighting militants in Iraq, calls for international support". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  7. "Frequently Asked Questions". Sons of Liberty International. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  8. Hanna, Reine (1 June 2020). "Contested Control: The Future of Security in Iraq's Nineveh Plain" (PDF). Assyrian Policy Institute. p. 39. Retrieved 2 August 2020. The force was ultimately disbanded, and official social media accounts for the Dwekh Nawsha have since been disabled. The force was disbanded soon after.
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