Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim (Arabic: ضياء عبد الزهرة كاظم; c. 1970 – January 29, 2007), also known as al-Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Arabic: العلي بن علي بن أبي طالب), was an Iraqi militant who was the leader of an armed extremist Shia Islamist cult named Soldiers of Heaven based in Iraq.
Soon Abdul-Zahra, who was in his mid-30s, began telling followers that he was the reincarnation of the Ali ibn Abu Talib, the first Shia Imam as well as the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Plans called for members of the Jund al-Samaa to disguise themselves as pilgrims then open fire in the attempt to assassinate as many leading Shia clerics as possible and cause overall disruption of the holiday.
[2][3][4] Abdul-Zahra Kadim was killed during a fierce gun battle with United States, British, and New Iraqi army forces in Najaf on January 29, 2007.
His face, with a neatly trimmed beard, matched a photo in a pamphlet found at the site entitled "Holy Coming", which identified him as the Mahdi.