Jund al-Aqsa

Jund al-Aqsa
جند الأقصى
Leaders
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 of Iraq and the Levant
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Jaysh al-Sunna[17][better source needed]
OpponentsState opponents

Other opponents rebel groups

Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

Military intervention against ISIL

Preceded by
Sarayat al-Quds (part of al-Nusra Front)

Jund al-Aqsa (Arabic: جند الأقصى Jund al-‘Aqṣā, "Soldiers of al-Aqsa"), later known as Liwa al-Aqsa after 7 February 2017,[22][7] was a Salafist jihadist organization that was active during the Syrian Civil War.[9] Formerly known as Sarayat al-Quds, the group was founded by Abu Abdul 'Aziz al-Qatari as a subunit within the al-Nusra Front.[10] The group later became independent, because al-Nusra was growing too rapidly for its resources and had suffered from fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[10] On 20 September 2016 the U.S. Department of State designated Jund al-Aqsa as a terrorist organization.[23] The group rejoined al-Nusra Front, by then renamed Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), in October 2016.[4] However, on 23 January 2017, JFS declared that Jund Al-Aqsa was no longer part of Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham.[24][25] In early February 2017, some of Jund al-Aqsa's units joined the newly formed Tahrir al-Sham, while the others refused and formed a new splinter group called Liwa al-Aqsa, and captured many towns in northern Hama and southern Idlib from other rebel groups. Following these attacks, Tahrir al-Sham launched a military operation against Liwa al-Aqsa, accusing them of being an ISIL affiliate.[26] Following intense clashes with Tahrir al-Sham, up to 2,100 Liwa al-Aqsa militants left Idlib Province to join ISIL in Raqqa Province, by 22 February 2017.[7]

  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. ^ a b c d "An internal struggle: Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate is grappling with its identity". Brookings Institution. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ Cite error: The named reference speak out was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d "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. ^ a b "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. 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. ^ "Split among Al-Qaeda's supporters in Syria, in light of severe differences of opinion regarding the nature of the ties with Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri - The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center". Terrorism-info.org.il. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  22. ^ FNA (15 February 2017). "Jund al-Aqsa executes hundred members of rival groups in Idlib". ABNA24. 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.
  26. ^ "ريفي حماة وإدلب ساحة مواجهة بين لواء الأقصى وهيئة تحرير الشام - وكالة خطوة الإخبارية". Step Agency. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.