Authenticity and Development Front

The Authenticity and Development Front (Arabic: جبهة الأصالة والتنمية; Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah) is an alliance of rebel groups that is active during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance is considered to be moderate by Charles Lister (from Middle East Institute)^[10] and the BBC.^[11]

Authenticity and Development Front جبهة الأصالة والتنمية[1] Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah
Leaders	Khalid al-Hamad [1]
Dates of operation	November 2012 – present[2]
Group(s)	Unification Army[3] Lions of the East Army (Former)[4] The White Shroud
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate Hama Governorate[5]
Ideology	Islamism[6]
Part of	Mujahideen Shura Council (2014–2015) Syrian National Army Hawar Kilis Operations Room (2017-present, Northern Aleppo branch only)
Allies	Turkey Tahrir al-Sham Jaysh al-Islam Ahrar al-Sham Saraya Ahl al-Sham
Opponents	Syrian Arab Armed Forces  Iran  Russia Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[7] Hezbollah PFLP-GC Syrian Democratic Forces
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign Rif Dimashq offensive (August–November 2014)[8] Eastern Qalamoun offensive (September–October 2016) Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–14) Battle of Aleppo (2012-2016) Aleppo offensive (October–November 2016) Siege of Northern Homs Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War 2017 Hama offensive Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War Operation Euphrates Shield Turkish military operation in Afrin[9] Northwestern Syria offensive (April-August 2019)

Background

The coalition includes Islamists, military defectors, and former civilians.^[6][12][13] Although the alliance uses Syrian independence flags and symbols, it does not identify itself as part of the Free Syrian Army.^[14] One of the groups involved was the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, which was also part of the Army of Mujahideen,^[6] though the Army of Mujahideen announced on 4 May 2014 that the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement had withdrawn from the coalition.^[15] The Authenticity and Development Front operated American-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles captured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.^[16]

Member Groups

Current

• The White Shroud
• Army of Tawhid^[17]
  • Tajamuu Alwiyat al-Iman Billah
  • Liwa Hamah al-Aqidah
  • Tajamuu Jund al-Badr Brigade 313
  • Lions of Islam Brigade
  • Talbisah Brigade
  • Falcons of Talbisah Brigade
  • Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan Brigade
  • Sword of Islam Battalion
  • Tajamuu Alwiyat wa Kataib Suyuf al-Haq
• Battalions of the People of Impact^[18]
• Abd Al-Rahman Battalions^[19]
• Miqdad Bin al-Aswad Battalion^[20]
• Division 60
• Jund al-Sham^[21]

Former Groups

• Lions of the East Army
  • Liwa Basha’ir al-Nasr^[22]
• Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
• Liwa al-Fatah al-Mubin (Formerly part of the Allahu Akbar Battalions)^[23]
• Ibn Taymiyyah Mujahideen Brigades (Joined Ahrar al-Sham)^[24]
• New Syrian Army (Expelled from Authenticity and Development Front, continued operations as independent group)
  • Allahu Akbar Battalions^[25]

See also

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

References

1. "The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria". Combating Terrorism Center. 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
2. Sinjab, Lina (17 October 2013). "Syria crisis: Guide to armed and political opposition". BBC. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
3. "Northern Homs based rebel group joins Authenticity and Development Front". Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
4. "The Authenticity and Development front cuts all of its ties with the New Syrian Army. | en.deirezzor24.net". Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
5. "Analysis: Insurgents launch major offensive against Assad regime in Hama province - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal. 24 March 2017.
6. "The Mujahedeen Army of Aleppo". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
7. "ثوار القلمون يطردون تنظيم "الدولة" من مناطق جديدة". الدرر الشامية. 15 March 2015.
8. Image malcolmxtreme.files.wordpress.com ^{[better source needed]}
9. "جبهة الأصالة والتنمية كتائب أهل الأثر جانب من مشاركتنا في عملية #غصن_الزيتون عفرين". YouTube.
10. Charles Lister, Yes, there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters in Syria. Here’s what we know about them Archived 2016-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 27 November 2015
11. Guide to the Syrian rebels, BBC, 13 December 2013
12. "The Levant Front: Can Aleppo's Rebels Unite?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
13. "The Fighting in Abu Kamal (Albukamal): Background and Analysis". Brown Moses Blog. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
14. "The Factions of Abu Kamal". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
15. "Jeish al-Mujahideen Charter – Comment and Translation". Goha's Nail. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
16. "THE MODERATE REBELS: A GROWING LIST OF VETTED GROUPS FIELDING BGM-71 TOW ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES". Hasan Mustafas. 5 August 2015.
17. Image twimg.com ^{[better source needed]}
18. جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (27 February 2018). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_أهل_الأثر https://t.co/mYc9xbXZYp" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.
19. جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (26 April 2017). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_عباد_الرحمن https://t.co/yXLeej74mL" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.
20. Image twimg.com ^{[better source needed]}
21. Image Archived 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
22. "Mesopotamische Gesellschaft « the White Shroud: A Syrian Resistance Movement to the Islamic State / By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi".
23. "Key Updates on Albukamal (Abu Kamal)".
24. "Syrian Civil War factions".
25. Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (18 December 2013). "The Factions of Abu Kamal". Middle East Forum. Retrieved 1 March 2024.

External links