Army of Revolutionaries

Army of Revolutionaries
Jaysh al-Thuwar
جيش الثوار
Participant in the Syrian Civil War

One of the official logos of Jaysh al-Thuwar

One of the Jaysh al-Thuwar flags
Active 3 May 2015 – present
Leaders

Current:

  • Ahmed Mahmoud Sultan ("Abu Araj")[1] (general commander since late 2016)
  • Abdul Malik Bard ("Abu Ali")[2] (former general commander until late 2016)
  • Hasan Banawi ("Abu Juma")[3] (Tribal Forces top commander)
  • Abu Raad Bakary[4]
    (Tribal Forces commander)
  • Khalaf Mus’ab[5]
  • Rami al-Agha[6]

Former:

  • Absi Taha ("Abu Omar")[7] (al-Qa'qa Brigade and former Army of Revolutionaries military commander)
  • Omar Rakhmon ("Tariq Abu Zeid") [8][9][10] (former spokesperson)
  • Abu Arab[11] (777th Regiment commander)
  • Abdul Aziz Mirza[11] (Sultan Selim Brigade commander)
Headquarters Tel Rifaat & Maryamin, Afrin, Aleppo Governorate
Area of operations
Size 1,800–3,000 fighters[12][13]
Part of
Allies
Opponents
Battles and wars

Syrian Civil War

Website jeshalthowar.com

The Army of Revolutionaries (Arabic: جيش الثوار‎‎), or Jaysh al-Thuwar, is a multi-ethnic armed Syrian rebel coalition that is allied with the primarily Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and participating in the Syrian Civil War as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Established in May 2015, with a presence in six governorates, and its membership includes Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. With its stated aims of fighting both the Syrian government and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), it was expected to become one of the more relevant rebel alliances in northern Syria, consolidating the democratic rebel spectrum.[12] It was considered as one of the "potential powerbrokers" in the Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, and Latakia governorates.[15]

While Jaysh al-Thuwar considers itself to be a part of the rebel mainstream and turned down the U.S. Train-and-Equip-Program because it wanted to be able to fight the Syrian government as well as ISIL, it has always been allied with the YPG. It therefore did not receive Turkish support, rejected the Friends of Syria Group,[13] and became embroiled in open conflict with Islamist rebel groups.[12]

Subsequently, Jaysh al-Thuwar retreated from rebel-held areas and further deepened its bonds with the YPG. In October 2015, it became one of the constituents of the Syrian Democratic Forces, increasingly integrating with the SDF's common frontlines against ISIL and other Islamist forces.[12]

History

Establishment

Ahmed Mahmoud Sultan, also known by his nom de guerre "Abu Araj", the general commander of the Army of Revolutionaries.

On 3 May 2015, some of the former members of the northern branches of the Hazzm Movement and the Syria Revolutionaries Front along with Jabhat al-Akrad, the Dawn of Freedom Brigades main component group the Northern Sun Battalion (making the Dawn of Freedom Brigades defunct in the process) and smaller FSA groups formed the Army of Revolutionaries.[16][17] Many of the northern members of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and Hazzm Movement also joined the Levant Front.

In an October 2015 publication, the Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War considered Jaysh al-Thuwar as one of the "potential powerbrokers" in Aleppo province, where it is part of the Euphrates Volcano joint operations room, as well as in Hama, Idlib and Latakia provinces, though not in Homs province.[15]

The original founding groups on 3 May; groups in italic indicate that they later withdrew from the coalition:[12]

Additional groups that joined

On 7 May 2015, 5 rebel groups based in the southern Idlib Governorate joined the Army of Revolutionaries:[19]

  • Martyr Yusuf al-Quzhul Company
  • Southern Storm Company
  • Eagles of the Sunnah Company
  • Truthful Promise Company
  • Fighters for Justice Company

Other groups; italic indicate that they later left:[12][20]

  • Atarib Martyrs Brigade (left to join the Army of Mujahideen in May 2016, former component of the Hazm Movement and Farouq Brigades)
  • Descendants of Othman Brigade (left to join the Houla Operations Room in October 2015)
  • Revolutionary Fedayeen Movement (left to join the Jaysh al-Nasr operations room in August 2015, left Jaysh al-Nasr when it became a unified group in October 2015)
  • Brigade 313 – Free Men of Aqrab (left to join the Houla Operations Room in October 2015)
  • Seljuk Brigade (former member of the Suleyman Shah Brigade)
  • al-Qa'qa' Brigade (former member of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, later left and was renamed to the Northern Democratic Brigade in 2016)[21][22]
  • Division 30 remnants[20]

Current member groups

Battles and territorial presences

Whilst Jaysh al-Thuwar uses the same Syrian independence flag used by many other opposition groups, the group also uses its own more specific Jaysh al-Thuwar flag, as well as the flag of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Kurdish Front fighters, part of Jaysh al-Thuwar, near the town of Herbel in July 2016.

Jaysh al-Thuwar did not apply to join the American Train-and-Equip-Program because it declined to restrict itself to fighting ISIL. The Army subsequently released videos of them fighting both against the Syrian Army in Aleppo and the northern Homs pocket, as well as against ISIL in Mare', Kobanê and northern Raqqa.

It controlled territory to the west of Azaz, bordering the Kurdish-held Afrin Canton, and claimed further presences in the Rashidin neighborhood of Aleppo, as well as in Tell Malah and al-Ghab Plain areas in northern Hama, and sleeper cells in Manbij area.[12]

The Army of Revolutionaries did not qualify for any support by Turkey, but neither did it receive any U.S. support. With weaponry considered "sparse by even Syrian standards", the coalition began to disintegrate early on.[12]

In July 2015, Division 30 fighters retreated to territory controlled by the Army of Revolutionaries west of Azaz after being attacked by the al-Nusra Front. This led to clashes between the Army of Revolutionaries and al-Nusra.[30]

On 29 August 2015, 30 fighters from the Army of Revolutionaries graduated from a boot camp west of Azaz, named after Alaa Ajabu, the former general commander of the Kurdish Front who was killed in action fighting against ISIL near Azaz in February 2014.[31]

On 13 February 2016, the Homs Liberation Movement declared hostilities on the Army of Revolutionaries. This led to the defection of two groups affiliated with the Army of Revolutionaries in Homs: the Homs Revolutionary Union and the 777th Regiment. With this incident, the Army of Revolutionaries no longer operate in the Homs Governorate.[32] However, a commander in the Homs Liberation Movement claimed that some rebels in Homs still have covert links to Jaysh al-Thuwar, but refused to name the groups, citing that "they deceived him" and he "does not know the nature of the said army's relationship with the enemies of the revolution".[33]

Jaysh al-Thuwar claims to have a presence in the Idlib Governorate. Orient News claimed that the group has cells in Ariha that conducted assassinations and "kidnapping operations" in the Idlib countryside and 12 of them were reportedly captured by the Army of Conquest in March 2016.[34]

Integration into the Syrian Democratic Forces

Flags of the Army of Revolutionaries and the Syrian Democratic Forces on the wreckage of a Syrian Air Force aircraft in Menagh Military Airbase, February 2016.

In spite of occasional denials, the rebel coalition has always been closely allied with the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). The coalition was therefore met with distrust by more Islamist rebel factions, and became embroiled in open conflict with hard-line Islamists, such as the al-Nusra Front.[12]

Further deepening bonds with the YPG and other anti-ISIL forces, the Army of Revolutionaries co-established the Syrian Democratic Forces in October 2015. Originally, only the eastern Syria branch of the group was part of the SDF.[12] On 17 November 2015, 15 rebel groups led by the Army of Revolutionaries established the SDF's branch in Aleppo and Idlib.[20] Subsequently, its constituents became involved in clashes with the al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and Islamist groups of the Fatah Halab and the Mare' Operations Room.[35] During the battles, two fighters of Jaysh al-Thuwar were beheaded by al-Nusra.[36] According to observers, it therefore withdrew most of its presence from other rebel-held areas, refocusing on the Syrian Democratic Forces' joint front lines.[12]

Since the establishment of the SDF, additional groups of various sizes have joined Jaysh al-Thuwar and its sub-factions.

On 21 January 2017, the Army of Revolutionaries released 74 prisoners of war from rival rebel forces.[37] On 11 March 2017, after negotiations between the Syrian National Democratic Alliance, the political council of Idlib, and the Army of Revolutionaries, a second batch of 80 prisoners were released.[38]

On 30 July 2017, the group announced that it would allow additional women to join its ranks, though its member group the Kurdish Front already recruit women into their units.[39][40]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Factions of the Free Army declare supporting JMC". Hawar News Agency. 29 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Abu Ali cold .. "Rebel Alfnazi" ally of the PYD". Enab Baladi. 14 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Abu Juma, leader of Jaysh al-Thuwar (back), speaking on the phone near the town of Azaz". ITAR-TASS Photo Agency. 10 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tribal forces: Our goal is liberation tenderness and all Syrian territory from terrorism". Hawar News Agency. 19 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Arab revolutionary factions: we will liberate north of Syria". Hawar News Agency. 6 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Jaish al-Thuwar: Turkey’s end would be in al-Shahba". Hawar News Agency. 18 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Abu Omar: Some of the media want to distort the image of the rebel army". Hawar News Agency. 11 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Hardline Islamists drove me from opposition back to Assad, says regime negotiator". Syria Direct. 11 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "A spokesman for the rebel army: Turkey's armed groups belonging to the base in Syria". Hawar News Agency. 27 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "The most prominent stations Omar Rakhmon representative of the regime in Aleppo agreement (Video)". Enab Baladi. 17 December 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 "Why Jaish al-Thuwar was bombarded by Turkey". Al-Monitor. 18 February 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Hasan Mustafa (16 November 2015). "An Analysis of Jaish al-Thuwar (The Army of Revolutionaries) – A Component of the Syrian Democratic Forces". Hasan Mustafa. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  13. 1 2 "President of the Political Bureau (Rebel Army): Our goal is the unity of Syria and fighting regime forces and Daesh". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 4 July 2015.
  14. 1 2 "YPG, allies clash with Syrian opposition groups in Aleppo". Middle East Eye. 29 November 2015.
  15. 1 2 Jennifer Cafarella; Genevieve Casagrande (7 October 2015). "Syrian Opposition Guide" (PDF). Backgrounder. Institute for the Study of War: 16, 20, 23, 25, 27. Note that Raqqa province was not covered by the study.
  16. ↑ "#Syria: Seven FSA groups (incl. Jabhat Akrad, Shams Shamal & Homs Revolutionary Union) form "The Revolutionary Army".". Twitter.
  17. ↑ "#SRO - EXCLUSIVE - Former Hazzm and #SRF forces allied with kurds and some #FSA small units to create Jaysh al-Thuwar (in 4 governorates).". Twitter.
  18. ↑ "Commander of the "rebels Khalidiya" .. fought in Homs and Idlib and was assassinated in the door". Enab Baladi. 20 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "Five Military Factions To Join The Ranks Of The "Army Rebels"". RFS Media Office. 7 May 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "15 opposition brigades in Idlib, Aleppo join SDF forces". Syria Direct. 18 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE - Liwa al-Qaqaa was one of Jaysh al-Thuwar for #Afrin then became autonomous in #SDF as Liwa al-Shamal al-Democrati". Syrian Rebellion Obs ‏. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Arab fighters: ready to fight until the liberation of all over Syria". Hawar News Agency. 18 December 2015.
  23. ↑ "Kurds Front: we will resist to the last gasp". Hawar News Agency. 24 October 2016.
  24. ↑ "بيان إلى الرأي العام".
  25. ↑ "تشكيل أول كتيبة عسكرية لنساء مناطق الشهباء" (in Arabic). Hawar News Agency. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  26. ↑ ypj mediacenter (12 August 2016). "عفرين- اختتام دورة عسكرية لنساء مناطق الشهباء (كتيبة الشهيدة جيان احرص)". Retrieved 1 September 2016 – via YouTube.
  27. ↑ News, ANF. "SDF announces the launch of 'Great Battle' for Raqqa". ANF News.
  28. ↑ "KurdisCat: 3 membres de Jabhat al Akrad i Quwat al-Ashair moren en combat contra l'IS al front d'al Bab". 6 December 2016.
  29. ↑ "Jaysh al-Thuwar: Our operations against Daesh terror continues". Hawar News Agency.
  30. ↑ "Rivals of ISIS Attack U.S.-Backed Syrian Rebel Group". The New York Times. 31 July 2015.
  31. ↑ "Al-Thuwar Army Ends Training The First Batch Of Special Forces In Northern Countryside Of Aleppo". RFS Media Office. 29 August 2015.
  32. ↑ "Homs liberation movement vows to members of the rebel army in Homs prosecution and trial". Sham News Network. 14 February 2016.
  33. ↑ ""Movement for the Liberation of Homs" accused "rebel army" by "collaborating" with the system through the "Democratic Union" Kurdish". SMART News Agency. 14 February 2016.
  34. ↑ "Jaysh al-Fatth captures a Jaysh al-Thuwar cell". Orient News. 31 March 2016.
  35. ↑ "Nusra reportedly attacks newly pledged SDF forces in Aleppo". Syria Direct. 25 November 2015.
  36. ↑ "Jabhat Al-Nusra assassinates members of the Army of the revolutionaries and civilians in Idlib Army". Syria Freedom Forever. 29 November 2015.
  37. ↑ "Kurds release 74 Turkey-backed rebels north Syria". ARA News. 22 January 2017.
  38. ↑ "Soldiers salute workers deserve". Syrian National Democratic Alliance. 14 March 2017.
  39. ↑ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (1 August 2017). "Syrian rebel group to recruit women inspired by bravery of SDF female fighters". ARA News.
  40. ↑ "The opening of the mobilization in the forces of the rebel army and leader Abu Araj shows the reasons and reasons in the report". Kurd Street. 30 July 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.