Syrian Resistance Groups
Since the uprising against Essed Regime started in Syria as of 2011, world had witnessed that the main stream opposition was out sourced from Syrian Military units; which adopted the name "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) since 2012.
FSA, -not well organized and equiped, to be able to launch a massive and decisive attack against Syrian Army-, was desperate against Essed at the begining. Turkey's efforts to provide shelter and some military equipment for Syrian militia, opening her border doors for not only civilian run aways, but also some core members of the resistance was fruitless to keep the fire burning. So, Syrian resistance had paved the way for a new type of locational organization, which was necessary to show some progress. At this intersection, international observes along with media, witnessed new actors among FSA.
To date; it's not possible to obtain a definite number of resistance groups, but at the main stage of the ongoing battle, there are at least 15 to 20 local or nation wide groups, some with foreign roots; organized in battalion and larger formations, launching some serious attacks against Essed Forces, and showing a promising sound for a future victory agains the last standing Baathist Regime in the Middle East.
Some of the most significant opposition groups are stated below:
1. Idlib Tawhid Brigade
2. Aleppo Tawhid Brigade
3. Jabhat Al Nusrah (jihadist)
4. Ahrar Al Sham (Salafist)
5. Shuhada Idlib Brigade
6. Dera'a Al Thawra
7. Shuqur Al Sham Brigade (Based in Zawiya village of Sarjeh, Leader Ahmad Abu Issa)
8. Shuhada Halab'l Muham Al Khassa Battalion (Aleppo)
9. Faroq Battalion (FSA Unit, Leader Abdul Razzak Tlass)
10.Farouq Al Shamal Battalion
11.Ahfad Al Resul Brigade
12.Shuqur Jebel Al Zawitah Battalion (A Part of Shuqur Al Sham Brigade)
13. Umma Brigade (Libyan led rebel group based in northern Idlib. Its leader is Mahdi Al Harati)
14. Hamza Battalion (Rastan based. Leader Ibrahim Ayoub)
15. Shuhada Suriyah Battalion (Leader Jamal Maaruf; )
16. Uthman Dhu Nurain Battalion (FSA organization in Harem region)
17. Al Sahaba Brigade
18. Al Qaka Brigade
19. Fajrul Islam
20. Tawafiq Group
21. Turkmen's Brigade
1. Tawhid (Unification)Brigade :
Tawhid Brigade (Unification Brigade) is an armed group who was active in the Battle of Aleppo. Its founder, using the pseudonym of Abu Khalid is from the Aleppo's Deraa region. He was a jihadist in Iraq and in the Lebanese based group of Fatah al Islam and was jailed several times in Syria by Syrian Intelligence,for trying to organize troubles and local plots against the Essed regime.
They are engaged in the Syrian conflict fighting against the Syrian government. The group crosses the border with Jordan to resupply itself in weapons and fighters. The group had some Libyans and Palestinians waiting to join their ranks.
Staring as a battalion level organization of approximately 200 strong, Tawhid announced itself as a Brigade on March 2012. Following the summer uprisings and clashes, another Tawhid Brigade is established in Idlib.
Its ideology is jihadism, conservative Islamism but they reject Al Qaeda terrorist tactics against women and children and also killing Shia Muslims. They also said that they have had no links with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) leadership based in a refugee camp in Turkey.
As the report points out, establishing the exact ideology of a Syrian rebel group is difficult. Most do not explicitly outline their worldview and some have adopted positions simply to gain favor with donors. Although the Idlib Tawhid Brigade has not publicly defined their ideology, there is evidence indicating that they are toward the Jihadist-Salafist end of the Islamist spectrum.
The Idlib Tawhid Brigade formed in mid-May by uniting several rebel cells near Idlib city. In a statement dated July 7, the Tawhid Brigade defined themselves as an independent group, separate from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and defined their mission as supporting religion. They also posted an al-Arabiya interview with Sheikh Aid al-Qarni, a Saudi cleric who preached in support of attacks against American troops in Iraq. On October 1, the Tawhid Brigade claimed to carry out a joint operation with fighters from the jihadist group Jabhat Nusrah, attacking two regime positions near Salqin. It should be noted, however, that the connection between the Idlib Jabhat Nusrah and the Jabhat Nusrah units carrying out large-scale bombings in Damascus and Aleppo is unclear. The following day, the brigade posted a video of a joint operation with the Salafist group Ahrar al-Sham in which, what appears to be a suicide bomber detonates a motorbike at a regime checkpoint near Idlib city.
In addition to working with Salafist groups, the Tawhid Brigade regularly carries out operations with FSA units, particularly the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, which is considered the armed wing of the Idlib City Revolutionary Council. Currently, the Tawhid Brigade is laying siege to an air defense station near Salqin in conjunction with units from Jabhat Nusrah, Ahrar al-Sham, and Deraa al-Thawra. The Idlib Tawhid Brigade also has links to the Muslim Brotherhood which is a major fund/source provider of the brigade.
While defining where exactly the Tawhid Brigade sits on the Islamist spectrum is difficult, the fact that they carry out suicide attacks, have links to Salafist groups, explicitly reject affiliation with the FSA, and emphasize their religious roots more than an average FSA group, point toward the brigade being a rebel group worth monitoring.
Rebels claimed to be members of the Aleppo Tawhid Brigade arrest a man who is claimed to be "traitor" at an old military base in Sicco village near Aleppo Photograph: Stringer/EPA
2. Jabhat Al Nusrah (Protection of the People Front / Support Front) :
Jabhat Al Nusrah (Front for the protection of the people) is a jihadist paramilitary group of Al Qaeda formed late in 2011 during the Syrian Uprising. The group released their first public statement on 24 January 2012 in which they called for armed struggle against the Syrian government. The group claims responsibility for the 2012 Aleppo bombings, the January 2012 al-Midan bombing, the March 2012 Damascus bombings, the murder of journalist Mohammed al-Saeed and possibly the 10 May 2012 Damascus bombings.
The Al-Nusra Front aims to lead an holy war against the Syrian government of Bashar Assad, which they hold responsible for crimes against rebels in Homs. The organization encourages all Syrians to take part in the war against the government.The group has also referred to the USA and Israel as enemies of Islam and has attacked the religious beliefs of non-Sunnis in Syria, including the Alawites.
On 17 June, Walid Ahmad al-Ayesh, described by Syrian authorities as the "right hand" of the Al-Nusra Front, was killed when Syrian authorities discovered his hiding place. The Syrian authorities reported the killing of another prominent member of the group, Wael Mohammad al-Majdalawi, killed on 12 August 2012 in a qualitative operation conducted in Damascus
The al-Midan bombings of January 2012 were allegedly carried out by a fighter named Abu al-Baraa al-Shami. Footage of the destruction caused by the blast was released on a jihadist forum. The video released by Al-Nusrah asserts that the "martyrdom-seeking operation" was executed "in revenge for our mother Umm Abdullah - from the city of Homs- against whom the criminals of the regime violated her dignity and threatened to slaughter her son," SITE reported. The video shows "an excerpt of allegiances, operations, and training of the al-Nusra Front" as well as a fighter "amongst the masses in a public demonstration, advising them to do their prayers and adhere to the rituals of Islam."
On 29 May 2012, a mass execution was discovered near the eastern city of Deir El Zor. The unidentified corpses of 13 men had been discovered shot to death execution-style.This incident raised awareness that the violence in Syria was heading towards an inexorable vicious cycle of tit-for-tat attacks between the different parties involved. According to the opposition, the 13 people who were shot at point blank range and later found in a field were employees at the electricity company in Deir Ezzor, who went on strike in protest of the massacres committed by the Syrian regime. They all had their hands tied behind their backs and were shot in the head according to a UN report. The head of a UN observer mission in Syria was "deeply disturbed" by the killings in Deir Ezzor, calling it an "appalling and inexcusable act."Several days later, the dead were identified to be military and the opposition then claimed they were army defectors killed by government forces. However, on 5 June, the Al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant claimed responsibility for the killings, stating that they had captured and interrogated the soldiers in Deir al-Zor and "justly" punished them with death, after they confessed to crimes.
In mid-July, Mohammed al-Saeed, a well-known government TV News Reporter, was kidnapped by the group. On 3 August, al-Nusra published a statement saying that al-Saeed was executed.
On 3 October, three suicide car bombs exploded at the eastern corner of the centralAl Jabiri Square killing 34 people, as it was announced by the Ministry of interior. More than 122 people were reported to be heavily injured.Al-Nursa group claimed responsibility for the attack.The bombs targeted the Officers' club and the nearby buildings of the Touristic Hotel and the historic "Jouha Café". The hotel received major damage while the café was entirely destroyed. A small building within the Officers' club was ruined as well.
The Al-Nusra Front also claimed responsibility for attacking: a Syrian air defense base near Aleppo on 12 October, the Hanano barracks in Aleppo city and the Suluq barracks in Raqqah. In the air defense base assault they reportedly destroyed buildings and sabotaged radar and rockets after overrunning the base. They said the al-Fajr Islamic Movement and a group of Chechen fighters were also involved. During the storming of the Hanano barracks 11 soldiers were killed and they held the complex for six hours before retreating. They also claimed killing 32 soldiers during the raid on the Raqqah base.
3. Ahrar Al Sham (Free Men of Greater Syria) :
Members of the group are largely Salafi Islamists. Ahrar al-Sham cooperates with the Al Nusrah as well as the FSA and other secular rebel groups. Although they coordinate with other groups, they maintain their own strict and secretive leadership.The group is supported by Sheik Adnan al-Arour, and receives the majority of its funding and support from Gulf donors like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.Ahrar al-Sham receives the bulk of foreign fighters entering Syria.
Ahrar al-Sham seek to establish an Islamic government in Syria whilst preserving the standard of living experienced during Assad's era. It has been claimed that unlike certain other jihadist groups Ahrar al-Sham is a Salafi group, rather than a pan-Islamist group. The group has expressed a desire for establishing an Islamic caliphate in Syria, although it has claimed that such a system would protect minority rights.
Known leader of the group is Abdul-Rahman al-Souri.
Ahrar al-Sham (Freemen of Greater Syria) is another slightly more moderate Salafist network, operating mainly in the north-west province of Idleb. Like Jabhat al-Nusra, it wants to impose a strict Islamist state and sees the fight in Syria as a sectarian battle of Sunni Muslims versus Alawites, the esoteric Shia offshoot to which the Assads belong. The two groups’ numbers are probably relatively small. Whereas Essed's regime encouraged the flow of jihadists into Iraq to kill Americans after the invasion in 2003, it has generally stamped on extremists. But jihadists are a minority within the Salafist trend; most Salafists are of a milder bent.
4. Shuhada Idlib Brigade (Martry Brigade) :
The brigade shifted its focus back to Idlib city after the regime drew down its forces there in late July in order to increase forces around Aleppo city. This created an opening across Idlib province for rebels seeking to expand their safe zones and for the rebels who used to operate in Idlib city to vie for control of their provincial capital.
The name "Al-Thawrah" literally means "The Revolution", in reference to the March 8th revolution. The Tabqa Dam, which compounds the Euphrates River and creates Assad Lake, was built near the city Al-Thawrah. The city located in central Syria has a population of around 70,000. But, the group which refer themselves as Deraa Al Thawrah (Deraa Revolution) has nothing to do with the city Al Thawrah.
According to intelligence sources, Deraa Al Thawra is a small group ranked with some Bedouin people of the southern Syria. Known for their commitment to Islamic Law and sympathy to Saudi Arabia, this group is acknowledged as a deterrent group, which plays a vital role especially in trafficking foreign support and logistics to FSA and other rebel groups.
6. Tartusi's Ansar Al Sham (Supporters of Damascus) Group :
Security sources believe that dozens of British extremists, possibly as many as 50, have travelled to
Syria to join the fighting and some may have been recruited by Abu Basir Al Tartusi. This week a junior doctor of Bangladeshi origin from, East London was charged with kidnapping two photographers in Syria, where he was said to be part of a 15-strong group of Britons.
The security services are concerned that the brutal conflict in Syria could become a "new Afghanistan" drawing in young men who return to Britain radicalised and keen to continue a fight to spread Islam.
A source said the numbers were "small but increasing" and there were concerns about "who they meet and the knowledge they could gain."
Basir, whose real name is Abdal Munem Mustafa Halima, was running classes at the al-Ansar Institute in Poplar, East London just months ago. He has his own website and his sermons are readily available on the internet. The preacher has been based in Britain since fleeing the Assad regime following an uprising in the early 1980s.
He has been compared with fellow preacher Abu Qatada and was described by one academic as one of the "most influential and most prolific radical scholars in the world right now" and by another as one of the "primary Salafi [fundamentalist] opinion-makers guiding the jihadi movement."
Usama Hasan of the Quilliam think-tank said: "Basir is a leading jihadi theologian on a level with Abu Qatada. Syria has become the number one destination for wannabe jihadis and no one knows who is recruiting them, but it could easily be Basir."
Basir's first video from Syria appeared in links from radical forums to the YouTube video-sharing site in May, labelled: "Shaykh Abu Baseer al-Tartousi In Jihad in Syria!" It featured Basir sitting in a circle, clutching a stick and lecturing a group of his students, one of them holding a Kalashnikov.
Subsequent photographs and videos showed Tartusi brandishing his own Russian-made assault rifle and a video showed the death of his nephew in the fighting. He now features in regular updates on his Arabic-language Facebook page labelled "The Islamic Opposition to the Regime in Syria," the most recent posted on Friday.
The video of him with his armed group bore the insignia Ansar al-Sham – Supporters of Syria – and appeared last Saturday, apparently filmed near Latakia, in the east of the country.
Aaron Zelinof the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, who monitors radical groups in Syria, said Basir had been described as the "emir" of one brigade but the name Ansar al-Sham appeared to be new.
Basir's willingness to travel to Syria and take up arms has gained him praise from fundamentalists in Britain.
In one posting, a long-standing member of an internet forum praised his journey to Syria and compared it with Anwar al-Awlaki, the al-Qaeda preacher who was killed in Yemen last year.
"This is why when we see Abu Basir in Syria, it increases our respect for him a hundred times over," the individual wrote.
Basir has been a key figure in the jihadi world since the late 1990s. While he has supported Islamists in Afghanistan and Iraq and advocates establishing Islamic states by force, he also believes in a "covenant of security" between Muslims and non-Muslims in the West and opposes suicide bombing.
He has also criticised Jabhat al-Nusra, a rival Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda, for failing to co-operate with the more secular Free Syrian Army, provoking a spat with another high-profile jihadi preacher, Abu Mundhir al-Shanqiti.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said last night: "Public safety is our priority and we will seek to prosecute individuals who travel overseas in support of terrorist activity in any country.
"We also recognise the risk that violent extremism poses for vulnerable young people in the UK and we actively engage with communities to tackle this issue, in line with the Prevent Strategy."
Security chiefs estimate that there are just over 50 Britons in Syria fighting to bring down President Assad
7. Suqour Al Sham (Sham Falcons) Brigade :
The Suqour al-Sham brigade was formed in September 2011 under the leadership of Ahmed Abu Issa in the town of Sarjeh in the Jabal al-Zawiya region. The group’s fighters are a mix of defectors and civilian volunteers. According to its website, the brigade has a civilian and a military wing. The civilian wing is run by a Council headed by Ahmed Abu Issa, this wing is responsible for acquiring military supplies, food, and media operations. The military wing is independent, but acts on the advice of the civilian leadership
As Suquor al-Sham has grown in prominence, rebel units in neighboring regions such as Aleppo and Idlib Governorate have declared themselves members of Suqour al-Sham. The central leadership has sometimes recognized their affiliation, but the amount of coordination with these groups is believed to be low.
Suqour al-Sham has been known to carry out effective roadside IED attacks targeting the Syrian Army since it’s inception. The organization has also carried out attacks on checkpoints using VBIEDs that had been secretly rigged with explosives and driven unwittingly by released captives, upon reaching the target they were detonated remotely. The group has not been known to undertake conventional forms of suicide attacks and bombings.
Suqour al-Sham’s ideology has been described by an analyst of the group as Islamist but not Jihadist. In a sermon delivered in a mosque in April 2012, Abu Issa said Muslims had lost their honor because they had abandoned Jihad, replacing aspirations for martyrdom with a fear of death, however, in an interview in June 2012 Issa described his vision for a post-Assad Syria as a moderate Islamic state "without imposing it on society.
The group was initially composed of a small band of troops (Sariyah) who founded the "Sham Falcons" battalion (Katibah) in September. The battalion consists of many fighters ranging from young fighters to regime army deserters who left the criminal regime’s army and joined the revolution to defend their friends and families after witnessing the injustices of the regime.
The battalion was originally formed consisting of two wings:
1 / The civilian wing, which is the primary wing. It consists of all the revolutionaries and individuals dedicated to the revolution, with the aim of defending the people, their property, and their honor. This branch is headed by "Ahmad Al Shaykh", more commonly known by Abu Issa. Abu Issa, who is from the village of Sarjeh in Jabal Al Zawiyah. He is the original founder of the battalion and the primary commander of the entire battalion. He is accompanied by an advisory council (majless el shourah).
2 / The military wing, which is composed of a group of officers and soldiers who defected from the regime army. This wing acts independently but relies on the advice of the civilian wing. This wing has since the start, ensured the safety of the battalion and fulfilled their need for supplies, ammunition, food, and shelter. The wing also serves as a media department providing material to the media outlets. The material includes but is not limited to operations conducted by the rebels and revolutionaries against the regime.
The battalion extends to cover more than one third of the province of Idlib and sections of the Hama suburbs. The largest concentration of troops covers regions of Jabal Al Zawiyah, Khan Shaykhoon, Ariha, Saraqib, Idlib, Sarmine, Al Ghab, and the suburbs of Maarat Al-Nouman. The number of units inside the battalion has reached well over 50 units.
Given the geographic expansion of this battalion and the increasing number of fighters affiliated with it, it was declared, in the evolution of the battalion, that the battalion "Brigade Shams Falcons" composed of over 10 combat units under its command, scattered across the Idlib province, as well as other units that joined the ranks of the brigade, and are linked to other provinces such as Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia and others.
The brigade can now proudly claim that its battalions and companies completed an impressive number of military operations against the army of the tyrant Al Assad, inflicting great losses on the traitorous regime army.
The Mission
The Sham Falcons Brigade considers the Syrian regime as its enemy. The regime has shown its betrayal and has plotted against its own people. They do this primarily by taking peaceful civilians as targets and by killing them brutally and indiscriminately. Thusly the primary objective is to protect peaceful demonstrations against the Assad militia and the security agents and shabiha.
For its fight, the brigade embarked on military operations in defense of the people, such as ambushes on the main roads to prevent state officials from reaching areas where protests and demonstrations are in effect. It also contributes to the protection of activists, journalists and politicians sought by the regime by providing shelter and safe haven to these people as they are the engine of popular protest in the region.
After the regime began increasing its military atrocities and availed itself to violence in an attempt to quell the protests in Idlib by forming military roadblocks throughout the region and preventing the free movement of citizens, the Brigade changed its policy and went on the offensive by using guerrilla actions. The brigade resorted to using weapons of fortunes (shotguns, small mines, Molotov cocktail, guns ...) to ambush the regime army and to create pressure on them by cutting their supply routes.
However, the brigade’s stance remained the same. Even these "offensive" actions were to liberate the region and allow free movement for citizens. Thus the general policy of the brigade remained the same: to defend and protect the rights of the oppressed people, and all operations launched by the brigade were at regions penetrated unfairly by the regime army.
So far we have not seen a rise in military commitment to the brigade by the defected soldiers. This is because they have not dared to take the responsibility of fighting against the regime, and instead sought asylum in neighboring countries with the exception of a select few, who remained on the ground and fight to defend their people, even giving their lives for the cause.
Major operations
Due to the intense pressure forced upon the people by the regime army in the province of Idlib, and in particular, Jabal Alzawiyah, The Sham Falcons brigade has made a significant number of military operations.
One of the most important operations that were carried out by the brigade was an ambush of armored vehicles headed from Hamidiya and Maarat Al-Nouman that were headed there to suppress peaceful demonstrations and to arrest the anti-regime activists. The city of Maarat Al-Nouman was then one of the most important centers of protest in this period. The targeted attack lead to the destruction of a BMP tank, a Zell military transport truck, a jeep and killed over 15 agents of the regime.
Another important operation was the attack on the regime army after they formed an offensive on the city of Ariha. The Sham Falcons brigade answered the cry for help by the unarmed civilians of the city despite the lack of equipment and weaponry. The brigade fought the Assad army for three days and prevented them from entering the city. The attack led to heavy losses from the regime army. A high ranking officer was killed and more than four T72 tanks were destroyed as well as four transport vehicles and a BMP tank. The attack however had to be stopped due to a lack of ammunition, and the brigade withdrew from the town of Ariha.
Many other important activities were conducted such as the participation of the brigade in the battle of Bab Al Hawaa and the liberation of several cities of Jabal Al Zawiyah by invading and destroying military bases and cutting off their supply routes.
8. Shuhada Halab'l Muhammad Al Ghassan Battalion aka Al Abbas Battalion :
There's not much information about this group but it is known as one of the Deir Al Zour City based groups and is considered to have 60-100 fighters. The group had been announced itself as Al Abbas Battalion of FSA, a sister unit of Farouq Battalion of FSA, at the beginning of the war against Syrian Army. It's leader Muhammed Ghassan Al Atwan was killed on August 2012, in fierce clash and in the following months group announced it's new name as Muhammed Al Ghassam Battalion via social network and Twitter.
The group carries the banner of Farouq Battalion and claims to be a branch of FSA in Deir Al Zaur region.
9. Ahfad Al Rasul Brigade (Decendents of the Prophet) :
Operates under FSA. Main area of operation is Damascus and its suburbs and surroundings.
Group has known to organize the killings of Syrian army generals, including Air Force Command in Chief General Hassan. Group have a facebook and twitter account which it claims responsibility for the military operations, through social media.
Since the uprising against Essed Regime started in Syria as of 2011, world had witnessed that the main stream opposition was out sourced from Syrian Military units; which adopted the name "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) since 2012.
FSA, -not well organized and equiped, to be able to launch a massive and decisive attack against Syrian Army-, was desperate against Essed at the begining. Turkey's efforts to provide shelter and some military equipment for Syrian militia, opening her border doors for not only civilian run aways, but also some core members of the resistance was fruitless to keep the fire burning. So, Syrian resistance had paved the way for a new type of locational organization, which was necessary to show some progress. At this intersection, international observes along with media, witnessed new actors among FSA.
To date; it's not possible to obtain a definite number of resistance groups, but at the main stage of the ongoing battle, there are at least 15 to 20 local or nation wide groups, some with foreign roots; organized in battalion and larger formations, launching some serious attacks against Essed Forces, and showing a promising sound for a future victory agains the last standing Baathist Regime in the Middle East.
Some of the most significant opposition groups are stated below:
1. Idlib Tawhid Brigade
2. Aleppo Tawhid Brigade
3. Jabhat Al Nusrah (jihadist)
4. Ahrar Al Sham (Salafist)
5. Shuhada Idlib Brigade
6. Dera'a Al Thawra
7. Shuqur Al Sham Brigade (Based in Zawiya village of Sarjeh, Leader Ahmad Abu Issa)
8. Shuhada Halab'l Muham Al Khassa Battalion (Aleppo)
9. Faroq Battalion (FSA Unit, Leader Abdul Razzak Tlass)
10.Farouq Al Shamal Battalion
11.Ahfad Al Resul Brigade
12.Shuqur Jebel Al Zawitah Battalion (A Part of Shuqur Al Sham Brigade)
13. Umma Brigade (Libyan led rebel group based in northern Idlib. Its leader is Mahdi Al Harati)
14. Hamza Battalion (Rastan based. Leader Ibrahim Ayoub)
15. Shuhada Suriyah Battalion (Leader Jamal Maaruf; )
16. Uthman Dhu Nurain Battalion (FSA organization in Harem region)
17. Al Sahaba Brigade
18. Al Qaka Brigade
19. Fajrul Islam
20. Tawafiq Group
21. Turkmen's Brigade
1. Tawhid (Unification)Brigade :
Tawhid Brigade (Unification Brigade) is an armed group who was active in the Battle of Aleppo. Its founder, using the pseudonym of Abu Khalid is from the Aleppo's Deraa region. He was a jihadist in Iraq and in the Lebanese based group of Fatah al Islam and was jailed several times in Syria by Syrian Intelligence,for trying to organize troubles and local plots against the Essed regime.
They are engaged in the Syrian conflict fighting against the Syrian government. The group crosses the border with Jordan to resupply itself in weapons and fighters. The group had some Libyans and Palestinians waiting to join their ranks.
Staring as a battalion level organization of approximately 200 strong, Tawhid announced itself as a Brigade on March 2012. Following the summer uprisings and clashes, another Tawhid Brigade is established in Idlib.
Its ideology is jihadism, conservative Islamism but they reject Al Qaeda terrorist tactics against women and children and also killing Shia Muslims. They also said that they have had no links with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) leadership based in a refugee camp in Turkey.
As the report points out, establishing the exact ideology of a Syrian rebel group is difficult. Most do not explicitly outline their worldview and some have adopted positions simply to gain favor with donors. Although the Idlib Tawhid Brigade has not publicly defined their ideology, there is evidence indicating that they are toward the Jihadist-Salafist end of the Islamist spectrum.
The Idlib Tawhid Brigade formed in mid-May by uniting several rebel cells near Idlib city. In a statement dated July 7, the Tawhid Brigade defined themselves as an independent group, separate from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and defined their mission as supporting religion. They also posted an al-Arabiya interview with Sheikh Aid al-Qarni, a Saudi cleric who preached in support of attacks against American troops in Iraq. On October 1, the Tawhid Brigade claimed to carry out a joint operation with fighters from the jihadist group Jabhat Nusrah, attacking two regime positions near Salqin. It should be noted, however, that the connection between the Idlib Jabhat Nusrah and the Jabhat Nusrah units carrying out large-scale bombings in Damascus and Aleppo is unclear. The following day, the brigade posted a video of a joint operation with the Salafist group Ahrar al-Sham in which, what appears to be a suicide bomber detonates a motorbike at a regime checkpoint near Idlib city.
In addition to working with Salafist groups, the Tawhid Brigade regularly carries out operations with FSA units, particularly the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, which is considered the armed wing of the Idlib City Revolutionary Council. Currently, the Tawhid Brigade is laying siege to an air defense station near Salqin in conjunction with units from Jabhat Nusrah, Ahrar al-Sham, and Deraa al-Thawra. The Idlib Tawhid Brigade also has links to the Muslim Brotherhood which is a major fund/source provider of the brigade.
While defining where exactly the Tawhid Brigade sits on the Islamist spectrum is difficult, the fact that they carry out suicide attacks, have links to Salafist groups, explicitly reject affiliation with the FSA, and emphasize their religious roots more than an average FSA group, point toward the brigade being a rebel group worth monitoring.
2. Jabhat Al Nusrah (Protection of the People Front / Support Front) :
Jabhat Al Nusrah (Front for the protection of the people) is a jihadist paramilitary group of Al Qaeda formed late in 2011 during the Syrian Uprising. The group released their first public statement on 24 January 2012 in which they called for armed struggle against the Syrian government. The group claims responsibility for the 2012 Aleppo bombings, the January 2012 al-Midan bombing, the March 2012 Damascus bombings, the murder of journalist Mohammed al-Saeed and possibly the 10 May 2012 Damascus bombings.
The Al-Nusra Front aims to lead an holy war against the Syrian government of Bashar Assad, which they hold responsible for crimes against rebels in Homs. The organization encourages all Syrians to take part in the war against the government.The group has also referred to the USA and Israel as enemies of Islam and has attacked the religious beliefs of non-Sunnis in Syria, including the Alawites.
On 17 June, Walid Ahmad al-Ayesh, described by Syrian authorities as the "right hand" of the Al-Nusra Front, was killed when Syrian authorities discovered his hiding place. The Syrian authorities reported the killing of another prominent member of the group, Wael Mohammad al-Majdalawi, killed on 12 August 2012 in a qualitative operation conducted in Damascus
The al-Midan bombings of January 2012 were allegedly carried out by a fighter named Abu al-Baraa al-Shami. Footage of the destruction caused by the blast was released on a jihadist forum. The video released by Al-Nusrah asserts that the "martyrdom-seeking operation" was executed "in revenge for our mother Umm Abdullah - from the city of Homs- against whom the criminals of the regime violated her dignity and threatened to slaughter her son," SITE reported. The video shows "an excerpt of allegiances, operations, and training of the al-Nusra Front" as well as a fighter "amongst the masses in a public demonstration, advising them to do their prayers and adhere to the rituals of Islam."
On 29 May 2012, a mass execution was discovered near the eastern city of Deir El Zor. The unidentified corpses of 13 men had been discovered shot to death execution-style.This incident raised awareness that the violence in Syria was heading towards an inexorable vicious cycle of tit-for-tat attacks between the different parties involved. According to the opposition, the 13 people who were shot at point blank range and later found in a field were employees at the electricity company in Deir Ezzor, who went on strike in protest of the massacres committed by the Syrian regime. They all had their hands tied behind their backs and were shot in the head according to a UN report. The head of a UN observer mission in Syria was "deeply disturbed" by the killings in Deir Ezzor, calling it an "appalling and inexcusable act."Several days later, the dead were identified to be military and the opposition then claimed they were army defectors killed by government forces. However, on 5 June, the Al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant claimed responsibility for the killings, stating that they had captured and interrogated the soldiers in Deir al-Zor and "justly" punished them with death, after they confessed to crimes.
In mid-July, Mohammed al-Saeed, a well-known government TV News Reporter, was kidnapped by the group. On 3 August, al-Nusra published a statement saying that al-Saeed was executed.
On 3 October, three suicide car bombs exploded at the eastern corner of the centralAl Jabiri Square killing 34 people, as it was announced by the Ministry of interior. More than 122 people were reported to be heavily injured.Al-Nursa group claimed responsibility for the attack.The bombs targeted the Officers' club and the nearby buildings of the Touristic Hotel and the historic "Jouha Café". The hotel received major damage while the café was entirely destroyed. A small building within the Officers' club was ruined as well.
The Al-Nusra Front also claimed responsibility for attacking: a Syrian air defense base near Aleppo on 12 October, the Hanano barracks in Aleppo city and the Suluq barracks in Raqqah. In the air defense base assault they reportedly destroyed buildings and sabotaged radar and rockets after overrunning the base. They said the al-Fajr Islamic Movement and a group of Chechen fighters were also involved. During the storming of the Hanano barracks 11 soldiers were killed and they held the complex for six hours before retreating. They also claimed killing 32 soldiers during the raid on the Raqqah base.
3. Ahrar Al Sham (Free Men of Greater Syria) :
Ahrar al-Sham seek to establish an Islamic government in Syria whilst preserving the standard of living experienced during Assad's era. It has been claimed that unlike certain other jihadist groups Ahrar al-Sham is a Salafi group, rather than a pan-Islamist group. The group has expressed a desire for establishing an Islamic caliphate in Syria, although it has claimed that such a system would protect minority rights.
Known leader of the group is Abdul-Rahman al-Souri.
Ahrar al-Sham (Freemen of Greater Syria) is another slightly more moderate Salafist network, operating mainly in the north-west province of Idleb. Like Jabhat al-Nusra, it wants to impose a strict Islamist state and sees the fight in Syria as a sectarian battle of Sunni Muslims versus Alawites, the esoteric Shia offshoot to which the Assads belong. The two groups’ numbers are probably relatively small. Whereas Essed's regime encouraged the flow of jihadists into Iraq to kill Americans after the invasion in 2003, it has generally stamped on extremists. But jihadists are a minority within the Salafist trend; most Salafists are of a milder bent.
4. Shuhada Idlib Brigade (Martry Brigade) :
In late 2011-early 2012, Idlib city was a significant center of rebel activity, but the fighters were poorly organized, allowing the regime to clear the city in three short days in March 2012. The fighters that later created the Shuhada Idlib Brigade, were fighting in Idlib city in March. After being driven out by Syrian Army, they moved north of the city and formed the Shuhada Idlib Brigade in April 2012 under the leadership of Basil Issa.
The brigade shifted its focus back to Idlib city after the regime drew down its forces there in late July in order to increase forces around Aleppo city. This created an opening across Idlib province for rebels seeking to expand their safe zones and for the rebels who used to operate in Idlib city to vie for control of their provincial capital.
Basil Issa with the leaders of the Shuhada Idlib Brigade's twelve component battalions. The new leader of the Jafar al-Tayar Battalion is on the far right.
Despite the unconfirmed information stating that the brigade has around 12 battalions, only Jafar Al Tayyar Battalion and Shuhada Suriyah Battalion were confirmed as being part of some attacks under the command of Shuhada Idlib Brigade.
Jafar Al Tayyar Battalion (Commander Rasul Niyaz)
Shuhada Suriyah Battalion (Leader Jamal Maaruf)
5. Deraa Al Thawrah (Deraa Revolution) :
The name "Al-Thawrah" literally means "The Revolution", in reference to the March 8th revolution. The Tabqa Dam, which compounds the Euphrates River and creates Assad Lake, was built near the city Al-Thawrah. The city located in central Syria has a population of around 70,000. But, the group which refer themselves as Deraa Al Thawrah (Deraa Revolution) has nothing to do with the city Al Thawrah.
According to intelligence sources, Deraa Al Thawra is a small group ranked with some Bedouin people of the southern Syria. Known for their commitment to Islamic Law and sympathy to Saudi Arabia, this group is acknowledged as a deterrent group, which plays a vital role especially in trafficking foreign support and logistics to FSA and other rebel groups.
6. Tartusi's Ansar Al Sham (Supporters of Damascus) Group :
Security sources believe that dozens of British extremists, possibly as many as 50, have travelled to
Syria to join the fighting and some may have been recruited by Abu Basir Al Tartusi. This week a junior doctor of Bangladeshi origin from, East London was charged with kidnapping two photographers in Syria, where he was said to be part of a 15-strong group of Britons.
The security services are concerned that the brutal conflict in Syria could become a "new Afghanistan" drawing in young men who return to Britain radicalised and keen to continue a fight to spread Islam.
A source said the numbers were "small but increasing" and there were concerns about "who they meet and the knowledge they could gain."
Basir, whose real name is Abdal Munem Mustafa Halima, was running classes at the al-Ansar Institute in Poplar, East London just months ago. He has his own website and his sermons are readily available on the internet. The preacher has been based in Britain since fleeing the Assad regime following an uprising in the early 1980s.
He has been compared with fellow preacher Abu Qatada and was described by one academic as one of the "most influential and most prolific radical scholars in the world right now" and by another as one of the "primary Salafi [fundamentalist] opinion-makers guiding the jihadi movement."
Usama Hasan of the Quilliam think-tank said: "Basir is a leading jihadi theologian on a level with Abu Qatada. Syria has become the number one destination for wannabe jihadis and no one knows who is recruiting them, but it could easily be Basir."
Basir's first video from Syria appeared in links from radical forums to the YouTube video-sharing site in May, labelled: "Shaykh Abu Baseer al-Tartousi In Jihad in Syria!" It featured Basir sitting in a circle, clutching a stick and lecturing a group of his students, one of them holding a Kalashnikov.
Subsequent photographs and videos showed Tartusi brandishing his own Russian-made assault rifle and a video showed the death of his nephew in the fighting. He now features in regular updates on his Arabic-language Facebook page labelled "The Islamic Opposition to the Regime in Syria," the most recent posted on Friday.
The video of him with his armed group bore the insignia Ansar al-Sham – Supporters of Syria – and appeared last Saturday, apparently filmed near Latakia, in the east of the country.
Aaron Zelinof the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, who monitors radical groups in Syria, said Basir had been described as the "emir" of one brigade but the name Ansar al-Sham appeared to be new.
Basir's willingness to travel to Syria and take up arms has gained him praise from fundamentalists in Britain.
In one posting, a long-standing member of an internet forum praised his journey to Syria and compared it with Anwar al-Awlaki, the al-Qaeda preacher who was killed in Yemen last year.
"This is why when we see Abu Basir in Syria, it increases our respect for him a hundred times over," the individual wrote.
Basir has been a key figure in the jihadi world since the late 1990s. While he has supported Islamists in Afghanistan and Iraq and advocates establishing Islamic states by force, he also believes in a "covenant of security" between Muslims and non-Muslims in the West and opposes suicide bombing.
He has also criticised Jabhat al-Nusra, a rival Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda, for failing to co-operate with the more secular Free Syrian Army, provoking a spat with another high-profile jihadi preacher, Abu Mundhir al-Shanqiti.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said last night: "Public safety is our priority and we will seek to prosecute individuals who travel overseas in support of terrorist activity in any country.
"We also recognise the risk that violent extremism poses for vulnerable young people in the UK and we actively engage with communities to tackle this issue, in line with the Prevent Strategy."
Security chiefs estimate that there are just over 50 Britons in Syria fighting to bring down President Assad
7. Suqour Al Sham (Sham Falcons) Brigade :
The Suqour al-Sham brigade was formed in September 2011 under the leadership of Ahmed Abu Issa in the town of Sarjeh in the Jabal al-Zawiya region. The group’s fighters are a mix of defectors and civilian volunteers. According to its website, the brigade has a civilian and a military wing. The civilian wing is run by a Council headed by Ahmed Abu Issa, this wing is responsible for acquiring military supplies, food, and media operations. The military wing is independent, but acts on the advice of the civilian leadership
As Suquor al-Sham has grown in prominence, rebel units in neighboring regions such as Aleppo and Idlib Governorate have declared themselves members of Suqour al-Sham. The central leadership has sometimes recognized their affiliation, but the amount of coordination with these groups is believed to be low.
Suqour al-Sham has been known to carry out effective roadside IED attacks targeting the Syrian Army since it’s inception. The organization has also carried out attacks on checkpoints using VBIEDs that had been secretly rigged with explosives and driven unwittingly by released captives, upon reaching the target they were detonated remotely. The group has not been known to undertake conventional forms of suicide attacks and bombings.
Suqour al-Sham’s ideology has been described by an analyst of the group as Islamist but not Jihadist. In a sermon delivered in a mosque in April 2012, Abu Issa said Muslims had lost their honor because they had abandoned Jihad, replacing aspirations for martyrdom with a fear of death, however, in an interview in June 2012 Issa described his vision for a post-Assad Syria as a moderate Islamic state "without imposing it on society.
The group was initially composed of a small band of troops (Sariyah) who founded the "Sham Falcons" battalion (Katibah) in September. The battalion consists of many fighters ranging from young fighters to regime army deserters who left the criminal regime’s army and joined the revolution to defend their friends and families after witnessing the injustices of the regime.
The battalion was originally formed consisting of two wings:
1 / The civilian wing, which is the primary wing. It consists of all the revolutionaries and individuals dedicated to the revolution, with the aim of defending the people, their property, and their honor. This branch is headed by "Ahmad Al Shaykh", more commonly known by Abu Issa. Abu Issa, who is from the village of Sarjeh in Jabal Al Zawiyah. He is the original founder of the battalion and the primary commander of the entire battalion. He is accompanied by an advisory council (majless el shourah).
2 / The military wing, which is composed of a group of officers and soldiers who defected from the regime army. This wing acts independently but relies on the advice of the civilian wing. This wing has since the start, ensured the safety of the battalion and fulfilled their need for supplies, ammunition, food, and shelter. The wing also serves as a media department providing material to the media outlets. The material includes but is not limited to operations conducted by the rebels and revolutionaries against the regime.
The battalion extends to cover more than one third of the province of Idlib and sections of the Hama suburbs. The largest concentration of troops covers regions of Jabal Al Zawiyah, Khan Shaykhoon, Ariha, Saraqib, Idlib, Sarmine, Al Ghab, and the suburbs of Maarat Al-Nouman. The number of units inside the battalion has reached well over 50 units.
Given the geographic expansion of this battalion and the increasing number of fighters affiliated with it, it was declared, in the evolution of the battalion, that the battalion "Brigade Shams Falcons" composed of over 10 combat units under its command, scattered across the Idlib province, as well as other units that joined the ranks of the brigade, and are linked to other provinces such as Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia and others.
The brigade can now proudly claim that its battalions and companies completed an impressive number of military operations against the army of the tyrant Al Assad, inflicting great losses on the traitorous regime army.
The Mission
The Sham Falcons Brigade considers the Syrian regime as its enemy. The regime has shown its betrayal and has plotted against its own people. They do this primarily by taking peaceful civilians as targets and by killing them brutally and indiscriminately. Thusly the primary objective is to protect peaceful demonstrations against the Assad militia and the security agents and shabiha.
For its fight, the brigade embarked on military operations in defense of the people, such as ambushes on the main roads to prevent state officials from reaching areas where protests and demonstrations are in effect. It also contributes to the protection of activists, journalists and politicians sought by the regime by providing shelter and safe haven to these people as they are the engine of popular protest in the region.
After the regime began increasing its military atrocities and availed itself to violence in an attempt to quell the protests in Idlib by forming military roadblocks throughout the region and preventing the free movement of citizens, the Brigade changed its policy and went on the offensive by using guerrilla actions. The brigade resorted to using weapons of fortunes (shotguns, small mines, Molotov cocktail, guns ...) to ambush the regime army and to create pressure on them by cutting their supply routes.
However, the brigade’s stance remained the same. Even these "offensive" actions were to liberate the region and allow free movement for citizens. Thus the general policy of the brigade remained the same: to defend and protect the rights of the oppressed people, and all operations launched by the brigade were at regions penetrated unfairly by the regime army.
So far we have not seen a rise in military commitment to the brigade by the defected soldiers. This is because they have not dared to take the responsibility of fighting against the regime, and instead sought asylum in neighboring countries with the exception of a select few, who remained on the ground and fight to defend their people, even giving their lives for the cause.
Major operations
Due to the intense pressure forced upon the people by the regime army in the province of Idlib, and in particular, Jabal Alzawiyah, The Sham Falcons brigade has made a significant number of military operations.
One of the most important operations that were carried out by the brigade was an ambush of armored vehicles headed from Hamidiya and Maarat Al-Nouman that were headed there to suppress peaceful demonstrations and to arrest the anti-regime activists. The city of Maarat Al-Nouman was then one of the most important centers of protest in this period. The targeted attack lead to the destruction of a BMP tank, a Zell military transport truck, a jeep and killed over 15 agents of the regime.
Another important operation was the attack on the regime army after they formed an offensive on the city of Ariha. The Sham Falcons brigade answered the cry for help by the unarmed civilians of the city despite the lack of equipment and weaponry. The brigade fought the Assad army for three days and prevented them from entering the city. The attack led to heavy losses from the regime army. A high ranking officer was killed and more than four T72 tanks were destroyed as well as four transport vehicles and a BMP tank. The attack however had to be stopped due to a lack of ammunition, and the brigade withdrew from the town of Ariha.
Many other important activities were conducted such as the participation of the brigade in the battle of Bab Al Hawaa and the liberation of several cities of Jabal Al Zawiyah by invading and destroying military bases and cutting off their supply routes.
8. Shuhada Halab'l Muhammad Al Ghassan Battalion aka Al Abbas Battalion :
There's not much information about this group but it is known as one of the Deir Al Zour City based groups and is considered to have 60-100 fighters. The group had been announced itself as Al Abbas Battalion of FSA, a sister unit of Farouq Battalion of FSA, at the beginning of the war against Syrian Army. It's leader Muhammed Ghassan Al Atwan was killed on August 2012, in fierce clash and in the following months group announced it's new name as Muhammed Al Ghassam Battalion via social network and Twitter.
The group carries the banner of Farouq Battalion and claims to be a branch of FSA in Deir Al Zaur region.
9. Ahfad Al Rasul Brigade (Decendents of the Prophet) :
Operates under FSA. Main area of operation is Damascus and its suburbs and surroundings.
Group has known to organize the killings of Syrian army generals, including Air Force Command in Chief General Hassan. Group have a facebook and twitter account which it claims responsibility for the military operations, through social media.
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