Jund al-Aqsa

Jund al-Aqsa
جند الأقصى
Leaders
  • Abu Dhar al-Najdi al-Harethi[1]
  • Abu Abdul Aziz al-Qatari [2]
    Abu Musab al-Ansari 
    Said Arif [3]
  • Abu Diab al-Sarmini[4] (formerly)[5]
Dates of operationJanuary 2014 – 22 February 2017
Group(s)Ansar ut-Turkistan (formerly)[6]
Headquarters
Active regionsHama Governorate, Syria
Idlib Governorate, Syria[9]
Aleppo Governorate, Syria[10]
IdeologySalafist jihadism[11]
Size
Part of
Allies Islamic State
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Jaysh al-Sunna[17]
OpponentsState opponents

Non-State Opponents

Battles and warsSyrian Civil War
  • Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
  • 2014 Hama offensive
  • 2014 Idlib offensive
  • Al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict
  • Second Battle of Idlib[18]
  • Insurgency in Idlib
  • 2015 Hama offensive
  • 2016 Khanasir offensive
  • 2016 Hama offensive
  • October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes
  • Idlib Governorate clashes (2017)

Military intervention against ISIL

  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in Syria

Jund al-Aqsa (Arabic: جند الأقصى; Liwa al-Aqsa after early 2017)[21][22] was a Sunni Islamist jihadist militant group that fought in the Syrian Civil War.[9] It used to be called Sarayat al-Quds and it was founded by Abu Abdulaziz al Qatari as a unit within the Al-Nusra Front.[10] It later broke away from the Al-Nusra Front due to fighting with Daesh and became an independent group.[10] On the 20th of September 2016, the United States called Jund al-Aqsa a terrorist group.[23] The group decided to rejoin the Al-Nusra Front which was now called Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) in October 2016.[4] However, JFS decided to remove Jund al-Aqsa from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.[24][25]

Other websites

References

  1. Arterbury, John (2 May 2016). "Striving for "the Grandest Epics": Forecasting the Future of Jund al-Aqsa". Bellingcat. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  2. "ISIL Commanders Killed in Syria, Iraq". Fars News. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "An internal struggle: Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate is grappling with its identity". Brookings Institution. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Jund al-Aqsa Swears Allegiance to Former Al-Qaeda Affiliate". Enab Baladi. 10 October 2016.
  5. "Details on 'Ansar Al-Tawhid', a recently established military faction in Idlib province". Aleppo 24. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. "ضمانات أمريكية لتركيا بالتوقف عن تسليح أكراد سوريا". جريدة الدستور الاردنية.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Search for the dead begins in Idlib after Islamic State-linked brigade leaves for Raqqa". Syria Direct. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Relatives of executed rebels speak out: 'The regime hasn't even done what Liwa al-Aqsa did to us'". Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Why Did Jund Al-Aqsa Join Nusra Front in Taking Out 'Moderate' Rebels in Idlib?". Huffington Post. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  11. "The new face of the Syrian rebellion". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  12. "Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front". The Long War Journal. 17 February 2016.
  13. al-Omar, Saleem (13 October 2016). "Islamist Groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa Go to War". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  14. 14.0 14.1 "Source: hundreds of fighters to leave their factions (Jund al-Aqsa) within two month". All4Syria. 7 October 2016.
  15. Charkatli, Izat (23 February 2017). "Over 2,000 radical rebels defect to ISIS following intra-rebel deal". Al-Masdar. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  16. "Reports: Al-Nusra Front leaves Jaish al-Fatah coalition in Syria". Middle East Eye. 30 October 2015.
  17. "‫تحرير معسكر المسطومة بالكامل 19-5-2015". YouTube. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  18. "Rebels launch full-on assault of Idlib city". Syria Direct. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015., Syria Direct
  19. Joško Barić (29 April 2018). "Syrian War Daily – 29th of April 2018". Syrian War Daily. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  20. "Dissidents of "al-Aqsa Soldiers" form the "supporters of Tawheed" in Idlib - my media network". Baladi News Network. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  21. FNA (15 February 2017). "Jund al-Aqsa executes hundred members of rival groups in Idlib". ABNA24. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  22. "Search for the dead begins in Idlib after Islamic State-linked brigade leaves for Raqqa". Syria Direct. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  23. "State Department Terrorist Designation of Jund al-Aqsa". U.S. Department of State. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  24. "Nawar Oliver on Twitter". Twitter.
  25. Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (23 January 2017). "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham removes Jund al-Aqsa from its ranks". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 1 December 2020.