Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar

Not to be confused with the FSA group Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar or Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance.
Army of Emigrants and Supporters
Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
(Arabic: لواء المهاجرون والأنصار)
Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
(جيش المهاجرين والأنصار)
Leaders
  • Sheikh Mu'tasim Billah al-Madani[1] (September 2015–present)
  • Mansur Dagestani †[2]
  • Abu Ibrahim al-Khurasani[3] (June 2015–September 2015)
  • Salahuddin al-Shishani[4] (December 2013–June 2015)
  • Abu Omar al-Shishani[5] (summer 2012–winter 2013)[4]
Dates of operationSummer 2012[6] – present
Active regionsNorthwestern Syria
IdeologySalafi jihadism, Islamic fundamentalism
Size≈750 fighters (September 2015)[7]
Part ofBe Steadfast Operations Room (since 2020)[8]

Former:

Allies

Former:

Opponents Syria
 Iran
 Russia
 United States
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War
Preceded by
Muhajireen Battalion (Katibat al-Muhajireen)
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Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (LMA, Arabic: لواء المهاجرون والأنصار), Brigade of Emigrants and Supporters or literally Banner of the Emigrants and Supporters), also known as Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JMA or JAMWA, Arabic: جيش المهاجرين والأنصار, Army of Emigrants and Supporters), formerly the Muhajireen Battalion (Arabic: كتيبة المهاجرين, Katibat al-Muhajireen), is a Salafi jihadist group consisting of both Arabic-speaking fighters and fighters from the North Caucasus that has been active in the Syrian Civil War against the Syrian government.[16] The group was briefly affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2013,[4] but after changes in leadership, it took an increasingly hostile stance against it.[17] In September 2015, JMA pledged allegiance to the al-Nusra Front.

The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain,[18] Canada, Malaysia[19] and the United States.[20][21] However an analyst named Joanna Paraszczuk has argued that the charges of kidnapping and attacking civilians indicated by the US State Department were unproven; and that the sanctions will have no practical effect.[22]

  1. ^ Paraszczuk, Joanna (4 September 2015). "JMA Has (Another) New Emir, & He's Saudi". From Chechnya To Syria. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Joanna Paraszczuk (22 May 2019). "Mansur Dagestani, Amir of Liwa Muhajireen Wal Ansar, Killed in N. Hama". From Chechnya to Syria. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. ^ Paraszczuk, Joanna (9 June 2015). "Has Salakhuddin Shishani Been Replaced As JMA Emir?". From Chechnya To Syria. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Syria crisis: Omar Shishani, Chechen jihadist leader". BBC. 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  5. ^ Abdul-Ahad, Ghaith (23 September 2012). "Syria: the foreign fighters joining the war against Bashar al-Assad". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  6. ^ ""Obliged to Unite under One Banner": A Profile of Syria's Jaysh al-Muhajireen wa'l-Ansar". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Now It's Official: JMA Has Joined Jabhat al-Nusra". Chechens in Syria. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Jihadists in Syria's Idlib Form New 'Operations Room' | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. 15 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference reuters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Capture Claimed "Assad Spies" In Aleppo". From Chechnya To Syria. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference isw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "Former Guantanamo detainee killed while leading jihadist group in Syria". Long War Journal. 4 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Aleppo: Syria's Stalingrad?". National Interest. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  14. ^ "A dual perspective on joint JMA/FSA assault on Mallah". Reddit. Archived from the original on 30 August 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  15. ^ Caleb Weiss (11 July 2016). "Foreign jihadists advertise role in Latakia fighting". The Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Chechen Ousted as Amir of Jaish al-Muhadjireen wal-Ansar Rebel Group in Syria". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  17. ^ "Officials from Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham vow to continue fight against Islamic State". Long War Journal. 20 July 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  18. ^ "Bahrain Terrorist List (individuals – entities)". www.mofa.gov.bh.
  19. ^ http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  20. ^ "Currently listed entities". Public Safety Canada. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  21. ^ "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  22. ^ "US Designates Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar as a Foreign Terrorist Fighters". From Chechnya To Syria. 25 September 2014. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.