Jund al-Aqsa

Jund al-Aqsa
جند الأقصى
Participant in the Syrian Civil War and
the War on Terror[1]

Flag of Jund al-Aqsa

Emblem of Jund al-Aqsa
Active January 2014 – 13 October 2016
Ideology Salafist jihadism[2]
Leaders

Abu Dhar al-Najdi al-Harethi[3]

Abu Abdulaziz al-Qatari[4] †
Abu Musab al-Ansari †
Said Arif †[1]
Headquarters Idlib, Idlib Governorate, Syria [1]
Area of operations Hama Governorate, Syria
Idlib Governorate, Syria[5]
Aleppo Governorate, Syria[6]
Strength
  • 1,000+ (2014)[6]
  • 600 (2015)[7]
  • 800 (before October 2016)[8]
  • 1,600 (since October 2016)[8]
Part of
Originated as Sarayat al-Quds
Became Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Allies
Opponents

State opponents

Other rebels

Battles and wars

Syrian Civil War

Jund al-Aqsa (Arabic: جند الأقصى‎‎, Soldiers of al-Aqsa) is a Salafist jihadist rebel group that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.[5] Formerly known as Sarayat al-Quds, the group was founded by Abu Abdul 'Aziz al-Qatari as a subunit within the al-Nusra Front.[6] The group later became independent because al-Nusra was growing too rapidly for its resources and had suffered by fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[6] The United States Department of State has designated Jund al-Aqsa a terrorist organization.[13] The group was disbanded and integrated into Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. [14]

History

In early 2014, the group was reportedly composed of mostly non-Syrian Arab fighters.[15] By the end of the year, it had reportedly become a Syrian-majority group, partly because of defections from other Syrian rebel groups.[6]

In February 2014 Jund al-Aqsa captured the town of Ma'an and massacred more than 21 Alawite civilians, half of them women and children.

Jund al-Aqsa is part of the Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance, though as of 2015 this appears to no longer be the case.

On the 23 October 2015, Jund al-Aqsa left the Army of Conquest because it had misgivings about fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, while reaffirming its loyalty to al-Qaeda.[16] On 17 February 2016, over 400 fighters and senior leaders of Jund al-Aqsa defected to al-Nusra Front.[7][17]

In the February 2016 Khanasir offensive, Jund al-Aqsa and ISIL temporarily cut off the Syrian government's supply route to Aleppo, sharing war booty captured from Syrian forces before retreating.

In late August 2016 Jund al-Aqsa announced an offensive in the northern Hama Governorate. During this offensive, it used a drone to drop a small bomb.[18]

In October 2016, clashes between Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham escalated throughout the Idlib Governorate, with both sides expelling the other from several towns and villages.[19] During the clashes 800 other rebels reportedly defected to Jund al-Aqsa, increasing the group's strength up to 1,600 fighters.[8]

As a result of the clashes, the group pledge allegiance to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.[9]

Designation as a terrorist organization

Country Date Reference
 United Kingdom [20]
 United States 20 September 2016 [21]
 Saudi Arabia [22]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "An internal struggle: Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate is grappling with its identity". Brookings Institution. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "The new face of the Syrian rebellion". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Arterbury, John. "Striving for "the Grandest Epics": Forecasting the Future of Jund al-Aqsa". Bellingcat. Bellingcat. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "ISIL Commanders Killed in Syria, Iraq". Fars News. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Why Did Jund Al-Aqsa Join Nusra Front in Taking Out 'Moderate' Rebels in Idlib?". Huffington Post. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front". The Long War Journal. 17 February 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Source: hundreds of fighters to leave their factions (Jund al-Aqsa) within two month". All4Syria. 7 October 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Syria extremist group joins al-Qaida affiliate". AP. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Reports: Al-Nusra Front leaves Jaish al-Fatah coalition in Syria". Middle East Eye. 30 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Al Qaeda seizes territory from moderate Syrian group". Reuters. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Rebels launch full-on assault of Idlib city". Syria Direct. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "State Department Terrorist Designation of Jund al-Aqsa". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  14. ↑ https://twitter.com/hxhassan/status/785548889080360960
  15. ↑ "Another Split Among Chechen Jihadists over Fight with ISIS". From Chechnya to Syria. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "Al Qaeda front group claims success in key Syrian town". Long War Journal. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Charles Lister". Twitter. 17 February 2016.
  18. ↑ https://twitter.com/bm27_uragan/status/771821523199942656. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ "Jihadist civil war boils up as jihadists trade blows in Hama and Idlib". Al-Masdar News. 7 October 2016.
  20. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509003/20160318proscription.pdf
  21. ↑ "State Department Terrorist Designation of Jund al-Aqsa". State.gov. 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  22. ↑ "Syrian terrorist list produces 163 names and no agreement". Reuters. 17 February 2016.
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