Jund al-Aqsa
| Jund al-Aqsa | |
|---|---|
|
جند الأقصى Participant in the Syrian Civil War | |
|
Jund al-Aqsa Flag | |
| Active | January 2014–present |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism[1] |
| Leaders |
Abu Abdulaziz al-Qatari[2] † Abu Musab al-Ansari † |
| Area of operations |
Hama Governorate, Syria Idlib Governorate, Syria[3] Aleppo Governorate, Syria[4] |
| Strength | 1,000+[4] |
| Part of |
al-Nusra Front (Formerly)[4] Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance[3] Army of Conquest[5] |
| Allies |
Liwaa al-Umma Liwa al-Haqq[3] Ahrar ash-Sham[6] Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[7] (formerly)[3] al-Nusra Front[8] |
| Opponents |
Syrian Armed Forces
|
Jund al-Aqsa (Arabic: جند الأقصى, Soldiers of al-Aqsa) is an Islamist rebel group that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.[3] Formerly known as Sarayat Al-Quds, the group was founded by Abu Abdul 'Aziz al-Qatari as a subunit within the al-Nusra Front.[4] The group later became independent after disagreeing with Nusra's rapid recruitment drive and its feud with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[4]
In early 2014, the group was reportedly composed of mostly non-Syrian Arab fighters.[9] Towards the end of 2014, it had reportedly become a Syrian-majority group, partly because of defections from other Syrian rebel groups.[4]
Jund al-Aqsa is part of the Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "The new face of the Syrian rebellion". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ISIL Commanders Killed in Syria, Iraq". Fars News. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Why Did Jund Al-Aqsa Join Nusra Front in Taking Out 'Moderate' Rebels in Idlib?". Huffington Post. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Rebels launch full-on assault of Idlib city". Syria Direct. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ↑ "The Assad Regime and Jihadis: Collaborators and Allies?". Syria Comment. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ↑ "34 jihadists dead after rebel clashes in Syria's Idlib: activists". AFP. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Al Qaeda seizes territory from moderate Syrian group". Reuters. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ↑ "Another Split Among Chechen Jihadists over Fight with ISIS". From Chechnya to Syria. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
External links
- Jund al-Aqsa's YouTube Channel (Arabic)
