Jabhat Ansar al-Islam

Not to be confused with Jama'at Ansar al-Islam or Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan.

Jabhat Ansar al-Islam (Arabic: جبهة أنصار الإسلام; Supporters of Islam Front), originally formed as Tajamu' Ansar al-Islam (Arabic: تجمع أنصار الإسلام; Assembly of the Supporters of Islam) in August 2012, is an independent Sunni Islamist Syrian rebel group active in the Quneitra and Daraa Governorates.

Jabhat Ansar al-Islam Supporters of Islam Front
جبهة أنصار الإسلام
Logo of Jabhat Ansar al-Islam
Leaders	Abu Muhammad al-Jolani[1] Abu al-Majd al-Jolani (POW)[2] Bashar Abu Shihab (POW)[3] Abu Mu'adh al-Agha (spokesman of Tajamu Ansar al-Islam, 2012–13)[4]
Dates of operation	8 August 2012 – late 2013 (Tajamu Ansar al-Islam) 31 March 2014 – July 2018 (Jabhat Ansar al-Islam)[5]
Group(s)	Jabhat Ansar al-Islam:[6] Usama ibn Zayd Brigade Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam Brigade Battalion of the Chargers Former, Tajamu Ansar al-Islam: Jaysh al-Islam[7] Alwiya al-Furqan[8] Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades Katibat Hamza bin Abdelmuttalib[8] Al-Sahaba Brigades[8] Habib al-Mustafa Brigades[8] Shield of al-Sham Brigades[8]
Active regions	Quneitra Governorate Daraa Governorate[9] Rif Dimashq Governorate (until 2017) Idlib Governorate (2015)[6]
Ideology	Sunni Islamism[2][9]
Part of	Free Syrian Army (2012–2013, since 2016)[10][11][12] Syrian Revolutionary Command Council (2014–2015)[1] National Front for the Liberation of Syria (since 2017)[13]
Allies	Free Syrian Army Southern Front (sometimes) Army of Free Tribes Alwiya al-Furqan
Opponents	Syrian Armed Forces National Defense Force Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013)[4] Battle of Darayya (November 2012–February 2013) 2014 Quneitra offensive[9] Daraa offensive (February–June 2017) Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War Daraa offensive (June–July 2018)
Preceded by Tajamu Ansar al-Islam (Gathering of Supporters of Islam, 2012–13)[6]

Jabhat Ansar al-Islam is among dozens of Syrian rebel groups that have in the past been supplied with US-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles and Soviet-made 9K32 Strela-2 MANPADS with US approval.^[14]

Ideology

Abu al-Majd al-Jolani, commander of Jabhat Ansar al-Islam, stated during an interview on 14 July 2014 that he wanted to establish an Islamic state based on Sharia, and opposed both democracy and a caliphate similar to one proclaimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.^[2]

History

The group was originally formed as Tajamu Ansar al-Islam, or the Gathering of Supporters of Islam, a coalition of several Sunni Islamist groups in Damascus and the Rif Dimashq Governorate, announced on 8 August 2012. The coalition initially consisted of the Habib al-Mustafa Brigade, the Companions Battalions, Jaysh al-Islam, Alwiya al-Furqan, and the Shield of al-Sham Battalions. The group took part in the rebel capture of the Marj al-Sultan heliport on 25 November 2012 and the Battle of Daraya, part of the Rif Dimashq offensive (November 2012–February 2013).^[4]

In late 2013, Tajamu Ansar al-Islam fell apart due to differences and disputes between its component groups.^[6]

On 31 March 2014, Jabhat Ansar al-Islam was formed in the Damascus and Quneitra countryside by the Usama ibn Zayd Brigade, Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam Brigade, and the Battalion of the Chargers. Some time after its formation, the group established a branch in southern Damascus.^[6]

On 21 February 2015, the group announced the creation of a branch in the Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria.^[6]

On 6 April 2017, clashes erupted between Jabhat Ansar al-Islam and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front in the northern Quneitra countryside, which resulted in 7 rebels being killed. Government forces shelled the area on the same day, which resulted in a ceasefire between the two rebel groups.^[15]

On 30 May 2018, two commanders of Jabhat Ansar al-Islam, Abu al-Majd al-Jolani and Bashar Abu Shihab, were captured by groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army in the Quneitra countryside while attempting to surrender to the Syrian Army carrying around $300,000.^[3]

See also

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War