Active mid 2014–Present Strength 250 | Leaders Majid Elia | |
Area of operations Nineveh GovernorateNineveh plainsNorthern Iraq Allies | ||
The Dwekh Nawsha (Syriac: ܕܒܝܚ ܢܦܫܐ; literally "one who sacrifices") is a 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 Dwekh Nawsha operates in coordination with the regional and international security forces.
Despite being led by the Assyrian Patriotic Party, most militiamen are not members of the party. Several foreign fighters have joined the Dwekh Nawsha; they include Americans, French and Australians.
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.