Ansar al-Sham

Supporters of the Levant Brigade[1]
Ansar al-Sham
Participant in the Syrian civil war

Ansar al-Sham Logo
Active September 2012[2]-Present
Ideology Islamism[3]
Leaders Abu Omar al-Jamil
(overall leader)
Abu Musa al-Shishani
(Military Commander)[2]
Headquarters Jabal al Akrad, Latakia[4]
Area of operations Latakia Governorate[5]
Idlib Governorate[1]
Strength 2,500[4] (March 2014)
Part of Islamic Front(former)[6][7][3]
Rad al-Mazalem[8][9][10][11]
Allies
Opponents
Battles and wars

Syrian Civil War

Ansar al-Sham (Arabic: كتائب أنصار الشام, Supporters of the Levant) is an armed insurgent organisation that has been active during the Syrian civil war.[3]

Founded in September 2012 by a Latakian veteran of the Afghan Jihad known as Abu Omar,[4] Ansar al-Sham brings together a wide range of mostly Syrian fighters in North Latakia Governorate on a general Islamist platform. The groups military leader is a Chechen known as Abu Musa al-Shishani, and it maintains good relations with a wide variety of other opposition groups in the area, from the Free Syria Army to Al-Nusra Front.[4] In December 2012, Ansar al-Sham joined with other insurgent groups to found the Syrian Islamic Front umbrella organisation,[15] in November 2013 the SIF was dissolved and Liwa al-Haqq, Ansar al-Sham and Ahrar ash-Sham joined the broader Islamic Front alliance.[3]

It played a lead role in the 2014 Latakia offensive against the Syrian Government.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Sinjab, Lina (17 October 2013). "Syria crisis: Guide to armed and political opposition". BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Rebels Reopen the Latakia Front". Institute for the Study of War. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "A Power Move by Syria's Rebel Forces". Institute for the Study of War. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "The Ansar al-Sham Battalions". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  5. Aaron Y. Zelin (4 February 2013). "The Syrian Islamic Front: A New Extremist Force". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  6. "The Dawn of Freedom Brigades: Analysis and Interview". 2 October 2014.
  7. Lund, Aron. "Islamist Mergers in Syria: Ahrar al-Sham Swallows Suqour al-Sham".
  8. "Ivan Sidorenko on Twitter".
  9. "معركة رد المظالم (@Rd_Almzalm) - Twitter".
  10. https://www.facebook.com/rd.almzalm/
  11. Adra, Zen (18 April 2016). "Field report: Islamist rebels attack Syrian Army in Hama. Map Update".
  12. "Freedom, Human Rights, Rule of Law: The Goals and Guiding Principles of the Islamic Front and Its Allies". Democratic Revolution, Syrian Style. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  13. "Regime Regains Ground on the Coast". Institute for the Study of War. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  14. "Syrie: combats féroces autour d'un point de passage avec la Turquie". AFP. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  15. "The Syrian Islamic Front: A New Extremist Force". Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 19 May 2014.

External links

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