Ajnad al-Sham

The Ajnad al-Sham (Arabic: أجناد الشام‎, Soldiers of the Levant) was an independent Idlib and Hama-based rebel group active during the Syrian Civil War. The group is named after Ajnad al-Sham. It joined the Army of Conquest on 24 March 2015 and took part in the Second Battle of Idlib.[10] On 29 March 2014, it announced that its military leader, Abu Abdullah Taoum, was killed during clashes around al-Fouaa.

Not to be confused with Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union.
Ajnad al-Sham
أجناد الشام
Leaders
Dates of operationNovember 2013 – 28 April 2017[6]
Group(s)
  • Martyr Khalid Zaarour Battalion (former)[7]
  • al-Majd Brigade (former)[8]
Active regionsIdlib Governorate[4]
Hama Governorate[9]
IdeologySunni Islamism
Part ofArmy of Conquest (2015–2017)[10]
Tahrir al-Sham (Jan.-Jun. 2017; Nov. 2017-present)
Ahrar al-Sham (Jun.-Nov. 2017)
Allies Ahrar al-Sham
Tahrir al-Sham
Saudi Arabia
Opponents Syria
 Russia
 Hezbollah
Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba[11]
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War
Designated as a terrorist group by Malaysia[14]

History

On 5 November 2015, during the 2nd Northwestern Syria offensive, Ajnad al-Sham militants in the Hama Governorate killed and beheaded an unnamed Syrian Army Brigadier general and placed his head in a bin.[9][15] They posted a picture of it on Facebook and Twitter where fellow militants praised this execution and labelled the Brigadier general with derogatory slogans like "Nusayri" - a term for Alawites.[9]

In May 2016, a statement by the group threatened to retaliate against government forces if demands related to a prison riot in Hama were not met.[16]

In February 2017, during clashes between Ahrar al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the ISIL affiliated Jund al-Aqsa, the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Ajnad al-Sham came under attack from fighters from Jund al-Aqsa at their headquarters along with Saraya al-Ghuraba another Jihadist group, and during the attack, Jund al-Aqsa reportedly seized weapons and vehicles from Ajnad al-Sham and Saraya al-Ghuraba.[17]

On 18 June 2017, after joining Hayat Tahrir al-Sham the group left HTS instead joining Ahrar al-Sham.[18]

See also

References
  1. "More jihadist groups defect from Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham in northern Syria". 18 June 2017.
  2. oreusser (22 July 2017). "Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Diri has become the new general leader for Ajnad al-Sham after Abu Hamza al-Hamawi resigned. Not a coincidencepic.twitter.com/WFpL9k0fPC".
  3. "The leader of Ajnad Alsham tells were the next target of the army of conquest". 29 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  4. "The leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Ajnad al-Sham battalion killed in Idlib". Breaking News. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. Zen Adra (4 July 2016). "Jihadi groups mourn top leader in northern Latakia". al-Masdar News. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  6. "Al-Qaeda-linked terror leader killed in Syria's Idlib". Shia Post. 30 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  7. oreusser (17 June 2017). "Ajnad al-Sham affiliated "Martyr Khalid Zaarour battalion" announces joining #HTS.pic.twitter.com/Fg8rN9wg1s".
  8. ""Jaish al-Hama" regional rebel merger pledges allegiance to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham". Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
  9. Leith Fadel (6 November 2015). "U.S. Backed Moderate Rebels Proudly Post Images of Beheaded Syrian Soldiers in Northern Hama". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. "Al Qaeda and allies form coalition to battle Syrian regime in Idlib". Long War Journal. 24 March 2015.
  11. https://arabi21.com/Story/956610
  12. "Islamic State closes in on Syrian city of Aleppo; U.S. abandons rebel training effort". Reuters. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  13. "Key Syrian rebel groups join forces as fighting in Hama escalates". Middle East Eye. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  14. http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf
  15. "Russian warplanes target the northern countryside of Hama and violent clashes in the vicinity of Atshan". SOHR. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  16. "Syria: Hama prison besieged as inmates riot". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera English. 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2016-07-10.
  17. http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=60582
  18. https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jihadist-groups-defect-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-northern-syria/
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