Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) militia of Iraq

The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi militia, Mahdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi, is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. The Islamist militants rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004 when it spearheaded the first major armed confrontation against the U.S-led occupation forces in Iraq from the Shiite community in an uprising that followed the banning of al-Sadr's newspaper and attempts to arrest him, and lasted until June 6. The group is armed with AKM[citation needed] (Kalashnikov) assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades, mortars, Strela anti-air missiles, and other light weapons. The Mahdi Militia also utilizes IEDs (improvised explosive devices also known as road-side bombs) during their attacks on Iraqi civilians, Iraqi security forces and Coalition Forces. The truce agreed to in June was followed by moves to disband the militia and transform al-Sadr's movement into a political party to take part in the 2005 elections; Muqtada al Sadr ordered fighters of the Mahdi Army to go into a ceasefire unless attacked first. The truce broke down in August 2004, with new hostilities breaking out. The Mahdi Militia currently operates in an intimidation role towards Iraqis, using their illegal weaponry to influence local government, infiltrate the police, and terrorize Sunni Iraqis and their supporters. The militia is believed to have infiltrated Iraqi police forces and to be involved in vigilante activities. National Independent Cadres and Elites party that ran in the 2005 Iraqi election was closely linked with the army.