Ya Ali Popular Formations

Ya Ali Popular Formations (Arabic: تشكيلات يا علي الشعبية) is a Shia militia group in Iraq. The group has been reported to engage in attacks against Syrians residing in Iraq, particularly those suspected of supporting Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist militant and political organization in Syria.

Ya Ali Popular Formation
Arabic: تشكيلات يا علي الشعبية
Logo of the group
Dates of operation	2025 – present
Country	Iraq
Ideology	Anti-Syrian government[1]
Part of	Popular Mobilization Forces (alleged)[2]
Allies	Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces Kataib Sarkhat al-Quds
Opponents	Syria Iraq[3]
Battles and wars	Sectarian violence in Iraq
Flag

History

A video surfaced showing the group attacking Syrian workers in Iraq. The footage depicted three masked militia members beating and threatening Syrians, accusing them of supporting HTS.^[4][5] One of the militia members was seen carrying a pistol.^[5]

The group has stated it will take action on perpetrators of violence against Syrian Alawites, citing government inaction as justification.^[6] The group also said that it will "pursue all Syrians who support Jolani and expel them from the country."^[1]

The group claimed that it "followed" the activities of Iraqi Syrians on social media who "praised" the rule of Syria's president Ahmed Al-Shara and the Syrian security forces operations against Assad loyalists.^[5]

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani condemned the group's attack, and called it a “shameful acts of violence against a number of Syrian brothers working in Iraq.”^[7] He has ordered the formation of a security team to track down people responsible for “committing disgraceful acts of violence” against them."^[4] Iraqi security forces have also arrested at least 13 people for "promoting terrorist groups" and "supporting" mass killings of Syrian Alawities.^[3]

Accounts on social media have claimed that the group is affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, Iranian backed paramilitary groups, or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iranian Armed Forces.^[2]

In a video clip featuring the image of the former leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,^[8] Abbas Shield Martyrdom Forces, Ya Ali Popular Formations and the Kataib Sarkhat al-Quds have threatened to take action in Syria and against the United States^[9]