Jaysh al-Nukhba

The Jaysh al-Nukhba (Elite Army (Arabic: جيش النخبة‎), formerly called the Liberation Army (Arabic: جيش التحرير‎: Jaysh al-Tahrir) was a group operating in the Hama and Aleppo Governorates, backed and supported by Turkey.^[9] The group was formed from five units, some of which received BGM-71 TOW missiles from the United States.^[10]

Jaysh al-Nukhba
جيش النخبة‎ Elite Army
Former logo of the Liberation Army
Leaders	Mohammed al-Ghabi (DOW)[1] Alaa Abdel Hay al-Ahmad[2] Raed al-Elewi[3] Mohammed Ahmed al-Sayed[4] (artillery regiment and overall commander since January 2017) Zakaria al-Ahmad[4] (media office director)
Dates of operation	24 February 2016 [5] – January 29, 2025
Group(s)	Levant Front (Hama) 9th Brigade 115th Brigade Northern Sector (145th Brigade) (part of the SNA and not the NFL) Elite Battalion[6] Former: 46th Division 312th Division 314th Division
Headquarters	Jarabulus, Aleppo Governorate, Syria Kafr Nabl, Idlib Governorate, Syria
Active regions	Northwestern Syria Aleppo Governorate Idlib Governorate Hama Governorate Latakia Governorate
Size	3,000[4] (self-claim, 2017)
Part of	Free Syrian Army Syrian National Army National Front for Liberation (since May 2018)[7] Hawar Kilis Operations Room Fatah Halab (2016)
Allies	Turkey Free Idlib Army Army of Victory Ahrar al-Sham
Opponents	Syrian Arab Armed Forces Syrian Democratic Forces Islamic State
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War 2015 Hama offensive Battle of Aleppo Aleppo bombings (April–May 2016) 2016 Hama offensive Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkish military intervention in Syria Battle of al-Bab 2017 Hama offensive Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018) [8] Turkish military intervention in Afrin
Preceded by Liberation Army (Jaysh al-Tahrir)

History

Liberation Army

In July 2016 the al-Nusra Front raided the Liberation Army's headquarters in Kafr Nabl and captured 40 fighters, including the group's commander, Mohammed al-Ghabi. They also seized a number of weapons.^[1]

The group participated in the Turkish military intervention in Syria which began with the capture of Jarabulus. Liberation Army fighters captured the village of Amarnah from the Syrian Democratic Forces and took more than 8 SDF fighters captive.^[11] Since October 2016, the Liberation Army operates a prisoner-of-war camp in the northern Aleppo Governorate, which holds around 300 prisoners of war from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, implementing Sharia and capital punishment.^[12] On 15 October, Mohammed al-Ghabi was severely injured by an ISIL car bombs and died 20 days later. A new commander was named on 10 November.^[2]

Elite Army

On 7 January 2017, the Liberation Army announced that it has changed its name to the Elite Army and a new commander was appointed.^[4]

After internal disputes within the group in early 2017, the 46th, 312th, and 314th Divisions left the Elite Army and formed a new group called the 2nd Army.^[13]

In May 2018, along with 10 other rebel groups in northwestern Syria, the Elite Army formed the National Front for Liberation, which was officially announced on 28 May.^[7]

In September 2021 one of the group members kidnapped a 16 year old girl just as she was released from a prison (converted from "the former Asayish Center" post Turkish occupation) on 23 May 2020. She was taken to the Idlib Governorate where she stated that he enslaved her similar to ISIS has done previously.^[14][15]

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, which was held on 29 January 2025, most factions of the armed opposition, including the Syrian National Army, announced their dissolution and were incorporated into the newly formed Ministry of Defense.^[16]