Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni

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Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni or Ahmed bin al-Hassan al-Basri is an Iraqi Shia cult leader who lived near Najaf, Iraq. He claimed to be the messenger of the Hidden Imam; his followers were Sunnis and Shites that included women and children joined 600-700 of his "Soldiers of Heaven" believed he was the unity of inspiration from Muhammad.

Iraqi officials claim Ahmed al-Hassan was involved in the bloody battle with the government forces. They said the group called Soldiers of Heaven planned to attack the Imam Ali shrine at the heart of the city during the annual Ashura holy period and kill the Shiite religious leaders, and thus hasten the coming of the Mahdi.

Iraqi security officials said that a man calling himself Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib and styling himself the Mahdi, had been killed in the fighting but that the whereabouts of his "messenger" Ahmed al-Hassan was not known. Little is known about Hassan, who is believed to be from the southern city of Diwaniyah and reportedly who has told his followers he is in touch with the Hidden Imam. Some clerics said he founded his movement about eight years ago and has several thousands followers in southern Iraq.[1]

Followers of Hassan in the southern city of Basra accused Iraqi authorities of falsely implicating them in the fighting and said their leader had no involvement; Iraqi security forces shut down their office in Najaf previous week.[2] A Shi'ite cleric who has had contact with the group said he believed that al-Basri was alive and likely to be hiding near Karbala.[3]