| Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada | |
| Native Name: | كتائب سيد الشهداء |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Active: | 2013–present |
| Ideology: | Shia Islamism Wilayat al Faqih[1] Khomeinism Anti-Zionism |
| Leaders: | Abu Ala al-Walai[2] Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani[3] |
| Clans: |
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| Area: | Saladin Governorate, Iraq Damascus Governorate, Syria[5] Daraa Governorate |
| Size: | 10,000 (December 2020) |
| Partof: | Popular Mobilization Forces Islamic Resistance in Iraq (since 2020) |
| Predecessor: | Sheibani Network[6] |
| Allies: | State allies
Non-state allies |
| Opponents: | |
| Battles: | |
The Master of Martyrs Battalion, better known as Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada' (KSS; ar|كتائب سيد الشهداء, Battalion of the Master of Martyrs) and officially the 14th Brigade, is a radical Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group formed in 2013. Its stated mission is to protect "(Shia) shrines across the globe", preserve "Iraqi unity" and to "put an end to the sectarian conflict". KSS is funded, trained and equipped by IRGC's Quds Force and Hezbollah.
The group has been described as an Iranian proxy, and is one of the original militias that formed the Popular Mobilization Forces in 2014. The group has close ties to Badr Organization and the IRGC.[13]
KSS is also active in Syria, where its main focus is the protection of the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in a southern suburb of Damascus. It militarily supports the Syrian government and participates in the Syrian Civil War. It notably engaged in the Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin where it fought alongside Syrian government forces.[14]
On November 17, 2023, KSS and its leader Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji (also known as Abu Ala al-Walai) were declared Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) under the counterterrorism authority Executive Order 13224 by the United States.[15] [16] [17] [18] Additionally, al-Saraji was placed on Office of Foreign Assets Control's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.[19]