BAGHDAD — A video circulating on Facebook in January 2015 brought to Iraqis' attention “Abu Azrael,” a member of the Imam Ali Brigades fighting alongside the Popular Mobilization Units. The video turned the once-unknown fighter into a legendary figure, with Facebook users adopting him as a symbol of the Shiite fighters' struggle against the Islamic State (IS), which controls almost a third of the country.

Abu Azrael, a jovial muscle-bound man, uses comic and fiery language to refer to the extremist organization. His name soon spread in the Iraqi street, with his popularity also raising the profile for the progress of the Iraqi security forces in IS-controlled areas.

Falah al-Shami, a writer for the al-Mustakbal newspaper, commented on Abu Azrael’s emergence as a popular hero, arguing that it “stems from an urgent need in the community, as he is the first figure to lead in the [current] fighting.” Shami told Al-Monitor, “It is thanks to the youth on the social networking sites that Abu Azrael emerged. He is the qualitative opposite of the figures created by IS.”

War in Iraq is no longer limited to battlefronts. It is taking place on social networking sites as well. It is becoming increasingly rare to find a post shared on Iraqi social networking pages that is not related to military operations.