Hawar Kilis Operations Room
Hawar Kilis Operations Room | |
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غرفة عمليات حوار كلس Participant in Syrian Civil War | |
Active | April 2016—present[1] |
Leaders | Mohamed Dheere[2] |
Headquarters | Hawar Kilis |
Area of operations | Aleppo Governorate |
Size | 10,000–12,000 fighters[3][4][5][6][7] |
Part of | |
Originated as | Mare' Operations Room |
Allies |
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Opponents |
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Battles and wars | |
Website | https://twitter.com/houar_m_o |
The Hawar Kilis Operations Room (Arabic: غرفة عمليات حوار كلس, Turkish: Havar Kilis Operasyon Odası)[9] is a rebel coalition formed in the village of Hawar Kilis in April 2016, made up of rebel groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army in the northern Aleppo Governorate on the Syria-Turkey border. It closely coordinates with the Turkish Armed Forces and is the main rebel faction taking part in the Turkish military intervention in Syria since August 2016.
As part of the Syrian Train and Equip Program, many groups in the coalition were supplied with Thuraya satellite phones by the United States.[10]
The operations room forms a large part of the Turkish Free Syrian Army.
Member groups
- 1st Syrian Legion[11]
- Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror Brigade[12]
- Samarkand Brigade[13]
- Army of Grandsons (also part of the Victory Bloc and the Sultan Murad Bloc)
- Conquest Brigade
- 1st Division[14]
- Tala’a Victory Brigade
- Muntasir Billah Brigade
- 21st Combined Force remnants (northern Aleppo branch)
- Victory Bloc[15]
- Elite Division [16]
- Army of the Grandsons (also part of the 1st Syrian Corps and the Sultan Murad Bloc)
- Free Men of the East Brigade[17]
- Elite Army (northern Aleppo branch)
- 1st Brigade
- 5th Brigade
- Sham Legion
- Authenticity and Development Front (northern Aleppo branch)[20]
- Sultan Murad Bloc[21][22]
- Sultan Murad Division
- Hamza Division
- Al-Mu'tasim Brigade
- Northern Brigade[23]
- Revolutionary Knights Brigade
- Free Syria Brigade
- Swords of Shahba Brigade
- Manbij Revolutionaries Gathering
- Soldiers of Mercy Battalion
- Martyr Alaa Abu Zaid Battalion
- Honest Dawn Battalion
- Sirajuddin Battalion
- Supporters of God Battalion
- Omar Abu al-Hasan Battalion
- Commandos of the Sunna Battalions
- Commandos of Islam Brigade[24][25]
- Zubayr ibn al-Awwam Battalion[26]
- Al-Rafidayn al-Aeamila Battalion[27]
- Qiba Martyrs Battalion[27]
- Northern Commando Battalion[28]
- Jarabulus Martyrs Battalion[29]
- Martyr Alaa Barir Battalion[30]
- Revolutionary Knights Brigade
- 23rd Division (northern Aleppo branch)[31]
- Sultan Suleyman Shah Brigade
- Northern Hawks Brigade[32]
- 9th Special Forces Division of Aleppo remnants
- Mustafa Regiment[22]
- 1st Commandos Brigade[33]
- Revolutionaries of Syrian Jazeera
- Sultan Othman Brigade
- Levant Bloc[22]
- Levant Front
- Northern Storm Brigade
- Liwa Suyuf al-Sham (Azaz branch)
- Soldiers of Islam Brigade[34]
- Northern Army[35]
- Free Idlib Army (northern Aleppo branch)
- 1st Division of Aleppo
- 51st Brigade[32]
- Descendants of Saladin Brigade (until July 2017)[36]
- 2nd Army (northern Aleppo branch)[37]
- 1st Regiment[38]
- Liberation Brigade faction[39][40]
- People of the Homeland[41]
- Military councils
Structure
The Hawar Kilis Operations Room consists of 3 military "blocs": the Victory Bloc, the Sultan Murad Bloc, and the Levant Bloc.[22] At the end of October 2016 a security committee was formed to man checkpoints in the villages and towns it controls. A judicial committee to supervise courts was also established.[44]
History
The coalition took part in the northern Aleppo offensive, beginning with April 2016, and captured several villages in northern Aleppo overlooking al-Rai from ISIL, before entering al-Rai itself.[45] However, ISIL soon launched a large-scale counteroffensive and recaptured most of the villages, including al-Rai.[46]
In early October 2016 the group formed the Akhtarin Military Council which captured several villages and the town of Akhtarin from ISIL as part of the 2016 Dabiq offensive, ending with the capture of Dabiq and several more other villages, linking Mare' with al-Rai.[47]
On 28 October the group formed the "Victory Bloc" operations room during the western al-Bab offensive.[48]
On 28 January 2017, after the formation of Tahrir al-Sham which the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement's main branch became part of, the Zenki Movement's northern Aleppo branch working with Hawar Kilis Operations Room defected to the Sham Legion and formed the Revolutionary Knights Brigade.[49]
On 7 June 2017, a unit in the Hawar Kilis Operations Room defected to the Syrian Democratic Forces.[50]
In July 2017, the commander of Liwa Ahfad Saladin, Mahmoud Khallo, declared that the group would not participate in a planned Turkish-led offensive against the SDF in the Afrin Canton and the Shahba region.[51] Following the announcement, the group was arrested and disarmed by the Turkish Army. After being released soon after, Khallo protested against his unit's treatment and criticized that Turkey was apparently only interested in using the Syrian militias to further its own strategic goals. He also said that Liwa Ahfad Saladin, now without weapons, would set up a political party.[36]
See also
References
- ↑ "غرفة عمليات حوار كلس (@Houar_M_O) - Twitter". twitter.com.
- ↑ "Factions operations room "class dialogue" dominates the village of Tal barley countryside north of Aleppo". Smart News Agency. 5 April 2016.
- ↑ "What we know about ‘army unit’ Turkey is setting up in northern Syria?".
- ↑ "AS IT HAPPENED: Turkish military, coalition forces launch 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Jarablus". Hurriyet Daily News. 24 August 2016.
- ↑ "LIVE: Turkish military, coalition forces launch 'Euphrates Shield' operation in Jarablus". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 August 2016.
- ↑ "Mehmetçiğin Silah Arkadaşları! - TÜRKMEN AJANS".
- ↑ Luck, Taylor (14 December 2016). "Fall of Aleppo could tip Syria from civil war to insurgency". Retrieved 30 March 2017 – via Christian Science Monitor.
- ↑ U.S. halts military support for Turkey’s fight in key Islamic State town
- ↑ Kilit Kapı: El-Rai (Çobanbey)
- ↑ "The Thuraya Network: A Satellite Data Network for the Syrian Rebels". Bellingcat. 16 June 2016.
- ↑ "Turkish-backed Militants Create New Coalition To Combat YPG, PKK, ISIS". 12 May 2017.
- ↑ "470 FSA fighters killed in Euphrates Shield Operation". Kom News. 17 February 2017.
- ↑ Khaled al-Khateb (18 April 2017). "FSA sees 'golden opportunity' with end of Turkey's operations in Syria". Al-Monitor.
- ↑ RFS Media Office (28 July 2017). "الجيش الوطني السوري" – via YouTube.
- ↑ "The merger of seven opposition factions north of Aleppo under the name of (a block of victory)". Al Etihad Press. 5 June 2017.
- ↑ Ahmad Zakariya (2 April 2016). "After the recent merger of FSA factions, commander of FSA’s Al-Safwa Battalions explains: unity has become a necessity". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office.
- ↑ "Fighters from the Ahrar al-Sharqiya rebel group attend a training near the northern Syrian town of al-Rai". Reuters. 20 March 2017.
- ↑ "Brigade North are free to announce joining the Sham Corps". Qasioun News Agency. 16 June 2017.
- ↑ Barić, Joško (21 June 2017). "Syrian War Daily – 21st of June 2017".
- ↑ Barić, Joško (18 June 2017). "Syrian War Daily – 18th of June 2017".
- ↑ "Deir al-Zour military council to join the bloc Sultan Murad north of Aleppo". Qasioun News Agency. 17 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Aleppo: factions "shield Euphrates" gather in "military blocs"". Al-Modon. 22 June 2017.
- ↑ "Clashes break out in Ghouta of Damascus and in Dar’a; Al-Sham Legion forms Al-Shamal Brigade in Aleppo". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 30 January 2016.
- ↑ ""Battalion driven" and "Islam Brigades" deny Mbaiathma for "Sham edit body"". Al-Nour. 2 June 2017.
- ↑ "Northern Brigade separates from Sham Legion". All4Syria. 30 May 2017.
- ↑ Barić, Joško (17 June 2017). "Katibat al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Katibat al-Rafidayn al-Aeamila, and Katibat Shuhada al-Qiba all joined Liwa al-Shamal in northern Aleppo.pic.twitter.com/AdcQ9Woc07".
- 1 2 Barić, Joško (17 June 2017). "Syrian War Daily – 17th of June 2017".
- ↑ Barić, Joško (20 June 2017). "Katibat Maghawir al-Shamal (Northern Commando Battalion) joined Liwa al-Shamal in northern Aleppo.pic.twitter.com/wO9bdEIRdT".
- ↑ Barić, Joško (28 June 2017). "Katibat Shuhada Jarabulus (Jarabulus Martyrs Brigade) joined Liwa al-Shamal in northern Aleppo.pic.twitter.com/aAx2DfnCD4".
- ↑ Barić, Joško (14 July 2017). "Katibat al-Shahid Alaa Barir (Martyr Alaa Barir Battalion) joined Liwa al-Shamal in northern Aleppo.pic.twitter.com/h4kuMb7ZDc".
- ↑ "Syrian Civil War factions".
- 1 2 "Factions (door) announces the formation of a unified operations room". All4Syria. 18 June 2017.
- ↑ سوري, TahrirSy تحرير (2 April 2017). "#Syria #TahrirSouri the 151 Company in Mohamad al-Fatih Brigade became independent under the name "First Brigade Commandos"pic.twitter.com/A9yonD1HUB".
- ↑ "The suffering of the forcibly displaced Kurds continues in the countryside of Aleppo". ARA News. 13 June 2017.
- ↑ "Hassan Ridha on Twitter".
- 1 2 Lars Hauch (5 July 2017). "Syria war: Turkey 'disbands rebel battalion' as alliances collapse". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ↑ "Commander of the FSA’s Jaish Al-Thani : Our objective is to form a unified national army to ensure safety in all Syrian territory - Revolutionary Forces of Syria media office". 23 June 2017.
- ↑ Adra, Zen (11 June 2017). "Rebel infighting kills scores in northeast Aleppo". Al-Masdar News.
- ↑ https://www.baladi-news.com/ar/news/details/9855/%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1_%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%87_%D8%B9%D9%86_%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%AF
- ↑ http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/turkey-syria-intervention-wreck-arab-kurdish-alliance.html
- ↑ "The formation of "the people of homes" Brive Aleppo to expel "intentionally"". Baladi News Network. 6 June 2017.
- ↑ "Hill raised negotiations failed .. and the return of the military option". Al-Modon. 19 June 2017.
- ↑ "Formation of a unified military council to liberate Deir al-Zour". en.eldorar.com.
- ↑ "Operations «Hur class» Chamber recognizes the formation of security committees and courts in the northern Aleppo". Qasioun. 29 October 2016.
- ↑ "Syria rebels near ISIS stronghold in N. Aleppo". Now News. 5 April 2016.
- ↑ "ISIS Re-Seize Over Ra'ei Town In Aleppo Countryside". Qasioun. 11 April 2016.
- ↑ ""Military Akhtarin Council" calls on people to return to the northern town of Aleppo". Smart News Agency. 18 October 2016.
- ↑ @JohnArterbury (28 October 2016). "Euphrates Shield-affiliated Bloc of Victory operations room -- evidently a new ops room -- announces statement" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Hassan Ridha on Twitter".
- ↑ @houar_m_o (7 June 2017). ""Group of thieves flee to YPG areas"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (4 July 2017). "Turkey-backed rebel group refuses to attack Kurdish town north Syria". ARA News.