Ayyub Faleh Hassan al-Rubaie (Abu Azrael), also known as the “Angel of Death”, is a commander of the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi’a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that is fighting ISIL/ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) in Iraq. He has become a public icon of resisting ISIL in Iraq among Shia Iraqis with a large following on social media. His motto and catchphrase are “Ella Tahin”, literally meaning “Until/into dust” interpreted to mean “Grind you to dust.”
Abu Azrael was a former militia member in Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army which fought against the United States during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
In the Iraqi army and on social networks, he’s an icon. Abu Azrael, a Rambo-like militiaman, has helped push back the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.