Ansar al-Din Front

Supporters of the Religion Front
جبهة أنصار الدين
Ansar al-Din
LeadersAbu Abdullah al-Fajr[1]
Abu Abdullah al-Shami[2]
Dates of operation25 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)
  • Liwa Suyuf al-Sham (greater Idlib area)[5][better source needed]
  • Islamic Dawn Movement of the Levant
    • al-Murabitin Battalion
    • Osama Battalion
    • Abu Ali Yemeni Battalion
    • Abu Hilal Zitan Battalion
  • Abna Sharia
  • Ansar al-Haqq[6]
  • Fursan al-Iman[7]
Active regionsAleppo Governorate
Idlib Governorate
Hama Governorate
Latakia Governorate[8]
IdeologySalafist jihadism[9]
Size1,000[1]
Part ofTahrir al-Sham
(2017-2018)[10]
So Be Steadfast Operations Room[11]
Allies Al-Nusra Front
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Ahrar al-Sham
Opponents Ba'athist Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces
Hezbollah
Liwa Fatemiyoun
 Iran
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

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.[15] 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,[16] though portions of it left HTS in February 2018.[10]

The groups involved in the coalition have diverse memberships; Harakat Fajr Sham al-Islamiya numbers mostly Syrians from the Aleppo area,[17] while Harakat Sham al-Islam was formed around a core of Moroccan fighters,[18] the Green Battalion mainly had fighters from Saudi Arabia[18] and Jaish al-Mujahireen wal-Ansar was formed by Chechen and other Russian-speaking fighters.[19] On 23 September 2015, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar left and joined Jabhat al-Nusra.[20]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Caleb Weiss (17 December 2016). "Moroccan jihadist group merges with local Syrian faction". Long War Journal. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Jennifer Cafarella (25 July 2014). "Syria Update: July 17 - 25, 2014". Institute for the Study of War Syria Updates. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Ibn Nabih on Twitter".
  5. ^ @sayed_ridha (1 January 2017). "The same group which operates in..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ @IbnNabih1 (2 August 2018). "al-Qa'ida loyalists reacted strongly against the NLF merger, saying it's a implemention of Astana & warns of impending attack on them & HTS shouldn't be trusted to defend them. Related, 2 more small groups (Ansar al-Haqq, Abna al-Sharia) join Hurras al-Din along with some jurists" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 December 2024 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Twitter / Account Suspended". twitter.com.
  8. ^ a b c Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (23 October 2014). "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview". Syria Comment. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ a b "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.
  11. ^ Sirwan Kajjo (15 June 2020). "Jihadists in Syria's Idlib Form New 'Operations Room'". Voice of America. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  12. ^ Thomas Joscelyn (30 October 2016). "Jihadists and other rebels launch new offensive in Aleppo". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Second Idlib Stronghold Falls to Jabhat al-Nusra and Rebel Forces".
  14. ^ "ISW Blog". iswresearch.blogspot.com.
  15. ^ "Video: Saudi Faction Swears Allegiance To Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Emir". From Chechnya To Syria. 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Syria Islamist factions, including former al Qaeda branch, join forces: statement". Reuters. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ a b "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  19. ^ "Chechen commander forms 'Army of Emigrants,' integrates Syrian groups". Long War Journal. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing". Reuters. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.

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