Harakat Sham al-Islam
| Harakat Sham al-Islam Syrian Islamic Movement[1] | |
|---|---|
|
حركة شام الإسلام Participant in Syrian Civil War | |
|
Harakat Sham al-Islam Logo & Flag | |
| Active | August 2013[2]–present |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism[3] |
| Leaders | Ibrahim bin Shakaran †[4] |
| Area of operations |
Latakia Governorate, Syria Aleppo Governorate, Syria[2] |
| Strength | 500 (April 2014)[5] |
| Part of | Supporters of the Religion Front[6][7] |
| Allies |
al-Nusra Front[2] Ahrar ash-Sham Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[3] |
| Opponents | Syrian Armed Forces |
| Battles and wars | |
Harakat Sham al-Islam (Arabic: حركة شام الإسلام, meaning "Islamic Movement of the Levant") is a jihadist group composed of primarily Moroccans that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.[10] The group announced on 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Supporters of the Religion Front.[6] It was designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department on 24 September 2014.[11]
The group was founded in August 2013[2] by three Moroccan detainees who had been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Ibrahim bin Shakran, Ahmed Mizouz and Mohammed Alami.[5] Harakat Sham al-Islam first came to notice became of the role it played in the 2013 Latakia offensive.[9] The following year the group was one of the three primary factions, alongside Al-Nusra Front and Ansar al-Sham, that look part in the 2014 Latakia offensive.[8] Harakat Sham al-Islam also has a presence in Aleppo, being involved in battles for Kindi Hospital and the Aleppo Central Prison.[9]
The group's leader, Shakran, was killed in a battle with Syrian Government forces in April 2014,[3] along with the group's military commander, Abu Safiya Al-Masri.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Ex-Guantánamo detainee dies fighting Assad in Syria". Miami Herald. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Muhajireen Battalions in Syria". 13 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Former Guantanamo detainee killed while leading jihadist group in Syria". Long War Journal. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ↑ "Ex-Guantanamo prisoner killed in Syria". Al Jazeera English. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "After Guantanamo, Freed Detainees Returned to Violence in Syria Battlefields". The Wall Street Journal. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Syria Update: July 17 - 25, 2014". Institute for the Study of War Syria Updates. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ↑ "Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Capture Claimed “Assad Spies” In Aleppo". From Chechnya To Syria. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Syrie: combats féroces autour d'un point de passage avec la Turquie". 21 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Abu Ahmad al-Maghrebi (Ibrahim Bencheqroun), un vétéran du Jihad mort en Syrie | Jihad veteran killed in Syria
- ↑ "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ↑ The death of the commander of the movement Cham Islam and his deputy during clashes with regime forces
External links
- Harakat Sham al-Islam on Twitter (Arabic)
