From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ansar al-Sham is a Sunni militant group active in the Syrian Civil War, and it mainly fights against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.[10] It was founded by Abu-Omar al-Jamil, who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. The group allows both foreign fighters and local Syrian people to join the group and the group is described to be made up of people who left the SAA, shopkeepers, and farmers.[11]
Kata'ib Ansar al-Sham Supporters of the Levant Battalions[1] | |
---|---|
Arabic: كتائب أنصار الشام | |
Leaders | Abu Omar al-Jamil (overall leader) Abu Musa al-Shishani (military commander)[2] |
Dates of operation | September 2012[2] – present |
Group(s) | al-Zahir Baybars Battalion[3] |
Headquarters | Jabal al-Akrad, Latakia Governorate[3] |
Active regions | Latakia Governorate[4] Idlib Governorate[1] |
Ideology | Sunni Islamism[5] |
Size | 2,500[3] (March 2014) |
Part of | Syrian Islamic Front Islamic Front Jaysh al-Islam[6] (December 2016–January 2017, branch part of Ahrar al-Sham since January 2017) Tahrir al-Sham (February 2017–August 2018)[7] |
Allies | Free Syrian Army Junud al-Sham Jund al-Aqsa Sham Legion Ajnad al-Kavkaz Ajnad ash-Sham Jaysh al-Sunna Tahrir al-Sham Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria |
Opponents | Syria Russia Iran Hezbollah Syrian Resistance Syrian Social Nationalist Party |
Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War
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