He was allegedly "accidentally assassinated" at point-blank range on 20 December 2014 at a fake police checkpoint in eastern Iraq by an unknown party[5][6] but has since been reported alive and has appeared in the public eye.

[7][8] On 4 February 2013, al-Battat announced the formation of the Mukhtar Army with the stated purpose of protecting Iraq's Shi'as, and to assist the government in combating terrorism.

[9] He stated that the Mukhtar Army would prevent any Sunnis controlled by al-Qaeda or other militant sectarian groups from attempting to topple the Shi'a-led government in Iraq.

[2][10] In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Al-Battat said that the group receives weapons and other support from Iran,[11] and is advised by the Quds Force, a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that oversees its external operations.

"[12] Ahmed Abu Risha, the head of the Sunni Anbar Salvation Council, argues that the Mukhtar Army was created with Iraqi government consent to silence Sunni-led protests that began in December 2012.

[12] Al-Battat stated that the Mukhtar Army was behind the rocket and mortar attack on 9 February 2013 that killed seven members of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK) housed at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.