Jabhat Ansar al-Din

Supporters of the Religion Front
جبهة أنصار الدين
Jabhat Ansar al-Din
Participant in Syrian Civil War
Active 25 July 2014–present[1]
Ideology Salafist jihadism[2]
Groups
Area of operations Aleppo Governorate
Idlib Governorate
Homs Governorate
Hama Governorate
Latakia Governorate[3]
Allies
Opponents
Battles and wars

Syrian Civil War

Jabhat Ansar al-Din[3] (Arabic: جبهة أنصار الدين‎‎, The Supporters of the Religion Front) is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014 during the Syrian Civil War.[1] The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Islam and Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya; it has declared that is not affiliated with any other "parties".[1] The Green Battalion was originally a signatory, but around October 2014 it swore allegiance to the leader of Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar and was integrated into that faction.[4] The alliance has attempted to maintain neutrality in the conflict between ISIL and other groups.[3]

The groups involved in the coalition have diverse memberships; Harakat Fajr Sham al-Islamiya numbers mostly Syrians from the Aleppo area,[5] while Harakat Sham al-Islam was formed around a core of Moroccan fighters,[6] the Green Battalion mainly had fighters from Saudi Arabia[6] and Jaish al-Mujahireen wal-Ansar was formed by Chechen and other Russian-speaking fighters.[7] On 23 September 2015, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar left and joined Jabhat al-Nusra.[8]

Groups

Harakat Sham al-Islam

Flag of Harakat Sham al-Islam

Harakat Sham al-Islam (Arabic: حركة شام الإسلام‎‎, meaning "Islamic Movement of the Levant") is a jihadist group composed of primarily Moroccans that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.[9] The group announced on 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[1] It was designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department on 24 September 2014.[10]

The group was founded in August 2013[11] by three Moroccan detainees who had been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Ibrahim bin Shakran, Ahmed Mizouz and Mohammed Alami.[12] Harakat Sham al-Islam first came to notice because of the role it played in the 2013 Latakia offensive.[13] The following year the group was one of the three primary factions, alongside Al-Nusra Front and Ansar al-Sham, that took part in the 2014 Latakia offensive.[14] Harakat Sham al-Islam also has a presence in Aleppo, being involved in battles for Kindi Hospital and the Aleppo Central Prison.[13]

The group's leader, Shakran, was killed in a battle with Syrian Government forces in April 2014,[15] along with the group's military commander, Abu Safiya Al-Masri.[16]

Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya

Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya (Arabic: حركة فجر الشام‎‎, Islamic Dawn Movement of the Levant) is a jihadist group that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.[17] The group announced on 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Syria Update: July 17 - 25, 2014". Institute for the Study of War Syria Updates. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Control of Terrain in Syria: February 9, 2015" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015. the Aleppo Salafi Jihadist coalition Jabhat Ansar al-Din.
  3. 1 2 3 "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview". Syria Comment. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Video: Saudi Faction Swears Allegiance To Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Emir". From Chechnya To Syria. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Syria's Salafi Insurgents: the Rise of the Syrian Islamic Front" (PDF). Swedish Institute for International Affairs. March 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Chechen commander forms 'Army of Emigrants,' integrates Syrian groups". Long War Journal. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing". Reuters. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Muhajireen Battalions in Syria". 13 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "After Guantanamo, Freed Detainees Returned to Violence in Syria Battlefields". The Wall Street Journal. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Abu Ahmad al-Maghrebi (Ibrahim Bencheqroun), un vétéran du Jihad mort en Syrie - Jihad veteran killed in Syria".
  14. ↑ "Syrie: combats féroces autour d'un point de passage avec la Turquie". 21 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Former Guantanamo detainee killed while leading jihadist group in Syria". Long War Journal. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "مصرع قائد حركة شام الاسلام ونائبه خلال اشتباكات مع قوات النظام". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 3 April 2014.
  17. ↑ "Minority Dynamics in Syria". Syria Comment. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
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