Jabhat Ansar al-Din[8] (Arabic: جبهة أنصار الدين, lit. 'Supporters of the Religion Front') is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War.[3] The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Islam and Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya; it had declared that was not affiliated with any other "parties".[3] 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.[14] The alliance had attempted to maintain neutrality in the conflict between ISIL and other groups.[8] On 28 January 2017, it joined with numerous other factions to form Tahrir al-Sham,[15] though portions of it left HTS in February 2018.[10]
| Supporters of the Religion Front | |
|---|---|
| جبهة أنصار الدين Ansar al-Din | |
 | |
| Leaders | Abu Abdullah al-Fajr[1] Abu Abdullah al-Shami[2] |
| Dates of operation | 25 July 2014 – 28 January 2017[3] 1 February 2018 – present (splinter faction)[4] |
| Group(s) | (Member groups of Ansar al-Din Front - Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya)
|
| Active regions | Aleppo Governorate Idlib Governorate Hama Governorate Latakia Governorate[8] |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism[9] |
| Size | 1,000[1] |
| Part of | Tahrir al-Sham(2017-2018)[10] So Be steadfast Operations Room |
| Allies |  Al-Nusra Front Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria  Ahrar al-Sham |
| Opponents |  Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Hezbollah Liwa Fatemiyoun Iran |
| Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War
|
The groups involved in the coalition have diverse memberships; Harakat Fajr Sham al-Islamiya numbers mostly Syrians from the Aleppo area,[16] while Harakat Sham al-Islam was formed around a core of Moroccan fighters,[17] the Green Battalion mainly had fighters from Saudi Arabia[17] and Jaish al-Mujahireen wal-Ansar was formed by Chechen and other Russian-speaking fighters.[18] On 23 September 2015, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar left and joined Jabhat al-Nusra.[19]
Timeline
edit- 25 July 2014: Harakat Sham al-Islam, Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar and Green Battalion announced the creation of Jabhat Ansar al-Din as an alliance between the four groups.
- 3 October 2014: Green Battalion merged under Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar.
- 23 September 2015: Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar left the alliance to join Al-Nusra Front.
- 10 December 2016: The two remaining factions in the alliance Harakat Sham al-Islam led by Abu Mohammed al-Baydawi and Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya led by Abu Abdullah al-Shami have completely merged under Jabhat Ansar al-Din name, the leader is Abu Abdullah al-Shami.[2]
- 28 January 2017: Jabhat Ansar al-Din dissolved itself and joined Tahrir al-Sham.
- 1 February 2018: Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya defected from Tahrir al-Sham and resumed working as an independent group under the name Ansar al-Din Front - Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya.[10]
Groups
editHarakat Sham al-Islam
edit
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.[20] The group announced on 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[3] It was designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department on 24 September 2014,[21] by United Nations on 29 February 2016.[22] and by Bahrain and Morocco.[23][24]
The group was founded in August 2013 by Moroccans Brahim Benchekroun, Mohamed Mazouz, and Mohammed Souleimani Laalami, who had been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.[25][26] Harakat Sham al-Islam first came to notice because of the role it played in the 2013 Latakia offensive.[27] 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.[28] Harakat Sham al-Islam also has a presence in Aleppo, being involved in battles for Kindi Hospital and the Aleppo Central Prison.[27]
The group's leader, Shakran, was killed in a battle with Syrian Government forces in April 2014,[29] along with the group's military commander, Abu Safiya Al-Masri.[30] On 12 December 2016 they fully dissolved into Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[2]
Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya
editHarakat 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.[31] The group announced on 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[3] On 12 December 2016, the group fully dissolved into Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[2]
On 1 February 2018, Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya left Tahrir al-Sham and began operation under the name Ansar al-Din Front - Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya[10]
On 20 June 2018, al-Murabitin Battalion, Osama Battalion, Abu Ali Yemeni Battalion and Abu Hilal Zitan Battalion left Tahrir al-Sham to join the Islamic Dawn Movement of the Levant.[32]
On 2 August 2018, Ansar al-Haqq and Abna Sharia joined.[citation needed]
On 20 August 2018, Fursan al-Iman joined the group.[citation needed]
Relationship with other groups
editThe group has stated they desire to maintain a policy of neutrality and independence between various groups in fighting against the Syrian government as well as stating a desire to cooperate with these groups as well,[33] prior the formation of the group the member groups did cooperate with ISIL in early 2014 in besieging the Kweiris airbase.[34]
In an interview in 2015 a representative from the group was asked about their views regarding both al-Nusra and ISIL to which the representative said regarding al-Nusra "The problem is with them, not with us: we are prepared to work with all upright factions whose goals are like ours. It is not hidden from anyone that the goals of the majority of factions are like our goals." He added when asked if al-Nusra has made mistakes on the ground "In my personal opinion indeed we all make mistakes…and perhaps in Jabhat al-Nusra’s point of view it is not necessary to establish a Caliphate while the gangs of Assad exist in Syria." When asked about the group's stance on ISIL he said "We have no relation with IS (Islamic State). We don’t fight them and they don’t fight us. But anyone who says that Jabhat Ansar al-Din is affiliated with IS is lying."[35]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Mohammad Abdulssattar Ibrahim (22 September 2019). "Is HTS benefitting from Coalition airstrikes against foreign jihadists?". Syria Direct. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Moroccan jihadist group merges with local Syrian faction". Long War Journal. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Syria Update: July 17 - 25, 2014". Institute for the Study of War Syria Updates. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Ibn Nabih on Twitter".
- ^ @sayed_ridha (1 January 2017). "The same group which operates in..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ibn Nabih on Twitter".
- ^ "Twitter / Account Suspended". twitter.com.
- ^ a b c "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview". Syria Comment. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c d "New component split from "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham"". Syria Call. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ "Jihadists and other rebels launch new offensive in Aleppo - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal.
- ^ "Second Idlib Stronghold Falls to Jabhat al-Nusra and Rebel Forces".
- ^ "ISW Blog". iswresearch.blogspot.com.
- ^ "Video: Saudi Faction Swears Allegiance To Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Emir". From Chechnya To Syria. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "Syria Islamist factions, including former al Qaeda branch, join forces: statement". Reuters. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ "Syria's Salafi Insurgents: the Rise of the Syrian Islamic Front" (PDF). Swedish Institute for International Affairs. March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ a b "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Chechen commander forms 'Army of Emigrants,' integrates Syrian groups". Long War Journal. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing". Reuters. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs | error.page". www.mofa.gov.bh.
- ^ "Décision de la CNASNU n°03/2022, du 07 avril 2022, portant publication de la liste locale" (PDF). CNASNU.
- ^ "After Guantanamo, Freed Detainees Returned to Violence in Syria Battlefields". The Wall Street Journal. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
- ^ "Muhajireen Battalions in Syria". 13 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Abu Ahmad al-Maghrebi (Ibrahim Bencheqroun), un vétéran du Jihad mort en Syrie - Jihad veteran killed in Syria". Archived from the original on 5 April 2014.
- ^ "Syrie: combats féroces autour d'un point de passage avec la Turquie". 21 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Former Guantanamo detainee killed while leading jihadist group in Syria". Long War Journal. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "مصرع قائد حركة شام الاسلام ونائبه خلال اشتباكات مع قوات النظام". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 3 April 2014.
- ^ "Minority Dynamics in Syria". Syria Comment. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ "Tweets with replies by كودي (@badly_xeroxed) - Twitter". twitter.com.
- ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad. "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview".
- ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad. "The Assad Regime and Jihadis: Collaborators and Allies?".
- ^ "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview - Syria Comment". 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.