October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes
None
October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War | ||||||
|
||||||
Belligerents | ||||||
Jund al-Aqsa
|
||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||
Abu Yahia al-Hamawi
[9]
(general commander of Ahrar al-Sham) Muhammad al-Dabbous [10] [5] (Ahrar al-Sham senior commander) Ali Hilal al-Ahmad (Ahrar al-Sham commander) [11] |
Unknown | |||||
Strength | ||||||
Unknown | 1,600 fighters [12] | |||||
Casualties and losses | ||||||
Unknown number of dead, 800 defected [12] | Unknown number of dead, 150 defected to ISIL [6] | |||||
100–170 fighters killed on both sides [13] [14] |
The October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes are violent confrontations between the Salafist jihadist group Jund al-Aqsa and the Salafist Syrian rebel group the Ahrar al-Sham , supported by several other rebel groups. The two groups were previously allied during the 2016 Hama offensive , but sporadic clashes also occurred time by time. [15]
The clashes
Tensions between the two groups initiated on 4 October, when Ahrar al-Sham captured a Jund al-Aqsa member accused of being a cell for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . In response, Jund al-Aqsa militants kidnapped an Ahrar al-Sham member, beat his wife, and shot his brother. Both sides called for the release of their captured members and threatened military action. [15]
The conflict escalated on 6 October, as clashes broke out throughout the Idlib Governorate and the northern Hama Governorate . Jund al-Aqsa captured all Ahrar al-Sham positions in the town of Khan Shaykhun and attacked them in northern Hama, while Ahrar al-Sham expelled the former from Maarat al-Nu'man and 4 other villages in Idlib. [3] 800 fighters from Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham defected to Jund al-Aqsa during the clashes. [12]
As a reaction to the clashes, several other rebel groups signed a statement announcing that they would side with Ahrar al-Sham against Jund al-Aqsa in the conflict. The signatory groups were: [16] Jaysh al-Islam , Suqour al-Sham Brigade , Sham Legion , Army of Mujahideen , Fatah Halab , and Fastaqim Union .
On 8 October, clashes between the two groups spread to a village in Jabal Zawiya , [17] and a senior military commander of Ahrar al-Sham was killed. [10] The next day, in an attempt to end the conflict and find protection, Jund al-Aqsa pledged its allegiance to the al-Qaeda -affiliated al-Nusra Front (also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham). However, clashes continued in Idlib, after Ahrar al-Sham rejected the move and vowed to continue fighting Jund al-Aqsa. [4]
Two days later, a ceasefire agreement was signed between Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar al-Sham, and al-Nusra. [1] However, clashes between the two groups soon erupted again in Idlib. [18] In addition, Jund al-Aqsa, along with al-Nusra, reportedly attacked a base of Ahrar Al-Sham in the town of Tahtaya. [19] Meanwhile, 150 Jund al-Aqsa fighters reportedly defected to ISIL as result of the rebel infighting and their group's pledge to the al-Nusra Front. [6]
On 13 October, the general commander of Ahrar al-Sham announced the "end" of Jund al-Aqsa. [2]
Aftermath
On 22 October, Jund al-Aqsa as part of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham attacked Ahrar al-Sham's headquarter in Sarmin . [20]
In January 2017, the al-Nusra Front launched several coordinated attacks against Ahrar al-Sham headquarters and positions in the northern Idlib Governorate, near the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing . In addition, al-Nusra also attacked Ahrar al-Sham outposts in Darkush and Jisr al-Shughur . [21] On 20 January, Jund al-Aqsa raided an Ahrar al-Sham prison in the Zawiya Mountain and freed 13 of their prisoners. [22] Meanwhile, in the same area, al-Nusra attacked the Mountain Hawks Brigade of the Free Idlib Army , and captured a commander and his equipment. [23]
See also
References
- 1 2 @hxhassan (10 October 2016). "The agreement between Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham to end clashes between the former two" (Tweet) – via Twitter .
- 1 2 "qasioun.net" . www.qasioun.net . Archived from the original on 2017-10-19 . Retrieved 2016-10-13 .
- 1 2 3 "Jihadist civil war boils up as jihadists trade blows in Hama and Idlib" . Al-Masdar News . 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016 . Retrieved 8 October 2016 .
- 1 2 "Syria extremist group joins al-Qaida affiliate" . AP. 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016 . Retrieved 9 October 2016 .
- 1 2 "Combat of Jund al-Aqsa against Military Factions :causes, details & prospects" . El-Dorar Al-Shamia . 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017 . Retrieved 15 October 2016 .
- 1 2 3 Fadel, Leith (12 October 2016). "150 rebels defect to ISIS in northern Syria: reports" . al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018 . Retrieved 13 October 2016 .
- ↑ al-Omar, Saleem (13 October 2016). "Islamist Groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa Go to War" .
- ↑ "Google Translate" . translate.google.com . 9 October 2016.
- ↑ "News of the day: Abu Yahya al-Hamwi: Jund al-Aqsa work brings to mind a scene of state regulation" . El-Wehda . 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016 . Retrieved 8 October 2016 .
- 1 2 "How kill "jungle pin" hands on "Jund al-Aqsa?" " . Enab Baladi . 8 October 2016.
- ↑ "Ahrar al-Sham commander in Khan Sheikhoun "Ali Hilal al-Ahmad" was among those executed by Jund al-Aqsa today" . 7 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Source: hundreds of fighters to leave their factions (Jund al-Aqsa) within two month" . All4Syria . 7 October 2016.
- ↑ Kajjo, Sirwan. "Rebel Infighting Further Complicates Solution for Syria" .
- ↑ "Syria: Tens of Terrorists Killed in Further Infighting between Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar al-Sham in Idlib" . Archived from the original on 2016-10-24 . Retrieved 2016-10-10 .
- 1 2 "Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa alliance in northern Hama showing cracks" . Al-Masdar News . 6 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020 . Retrieved 8 October 2016 .
- ↑ "News of the day: the major factions of the resistance of the Syrian military announced that it stands with the Ahrar al-Sham in the face of Jund al-Aqsa" . El-Wehda . 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016 . Retrieved 8 October 2016 .
- ↑ "Casualties for Ahrar al-Sham during the control of Jund al-Aqsa on a village in the countryside of Idlib" . Syria HR . 8 October 2016.
- ↑ @InsideSourceInt (10 October 2016). "#Syria // #Idlib // Clashes re igniting between JAL and Ahrar now in Idlib after relative calm" (Tweet) – via Twitter .
- ↑ "Jihadist civil war escalates in Idlib as more groups join the battle" . 11 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017 . Retrieved 11 October 2016 .
- ↑ "Tension return between Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham in the countryside of Idlib and shooting in al-Suwaidaa" . Syria HR . 22 October 2016.
- ↑ Al-Hamra (20 January 2017). "Why Al-Qaeda/JFS Is Attacking Ahrar al-Sham: @charles_lister's Take" . Medium Corporation .
- ↑ Leith Fadel (20 January 2017). "Trouble in jihadist paradise as rival factions battle in Idlib" . Al-Masdar News . Archived from the original on 3 February 2019 . Retrieved 22 January 2017 .
- ↑ "Clashes in the countryside of Idlib between the "Brigade Hawks Mountain" and "Front victory" " . Nour Radio . 21 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 . Retrieved 22 January 2017 .
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||