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Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim (Arabic: ضياء عبد الزهرة كاظم; c. 1970 – January 29, 2007), also known as al-Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Arabic: العلي بن علي بن أبي طالب), was an Iraqi militant who was the leader of an armed extremist Shia Islamist cult named Soldiers of Heaven based in Iraq. He claimed to be the Hidden Imam and Mahdi.
He claimed to be from Hilla, Iraq. He was detained twice in recent years. He was also known to have connections to the former regime of Saddam Hussein since 1993.
After Saddam Hussein was toppled in the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, Abdul-Zahra's group appeared to be a legitimate political movement. Soon Abdul-Zahra, who was in his mid-30s, began telling followers that he was the reincarnation of the Ali ibn Abu Talib, the first Shia Imam as well as the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
He was killed by Iraqi forces in late January 2007 in the "Battle of Najaf", as he and his group Jund al-Samaa marched towards the Shiite holy city of Najaf, reportedly planning to kill the Shiite authorities and Grand Ayatollahs there and "take over their hawzas."[1]
- ^ Abu Zeed, Adnan (2 February 2015). "'Messengers of God' multiply amidst Iraqi chaos". Al Monitor. Retrieved 2 June 2022.