Third Legion (Syria)

The Third Legion is a faction of the Syrian National Army.

Third Legion[1]
Leaders	Abdul Salam Hamidi[2] Abu Ahmed Nour[3](?-August 2022)[4] Abu Yassin (August 2022-?)[4]
Dates of operation	18 October 2021[5]–29 January 2025[6]
Country	Syria
Group(s)	Levant Front[7] Jaysh al-Islam[8] 51st Division[9] Peace Brigades[9] Elite Brigade (joined in August 2022)[4] Sultan Malek Shah (left in July 2022)[10] Glory Corps (left in June 2024)[11]
Headquarters	Afrin (formerly)[12]
Part of	Syrian National Army[13]
Allies	Liberation and Construction Movement[8]
Opponents	Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham[14] Hamza Division Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade[8]
Battles and wars	Syrian civil war 2022 Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes[15] Northern Aleppo clashes (October 2022)[16]

History

The Third Legion fought with members of the Ahrar al-Sham Eastern Sector, also known as the 32nd Division, which had formerly been part of the Third Legion, but defected to Ahrar al-Sham in June 2022. The fighting killed at least five fighters on both sides, with more being wounded, in addition to killing two civilians and injuring two more. Ahrar al-Sham reinforcements from Idlib were blocked from arriving by members of the National Front for Liberation, which closed a border crossing. The Third Legion took control of Tall Battal.^[15]

The group clashed with the Hamza Division and other factions following the murder of Aleppo-based activist Muhammad Abdul Latif and his pregnant wife by the Hamza Division in October 2022, expelling the Hamza Division from al-Bab.^[17] Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham intervened on the side of the Hamza Division on 11 October.^[18] Turkey deployed its armed forces to the area on 18 October.^[19] Hayat Thaeroon for Liberation stopped the infighting by separating HTS and the Third Legion fighters.^[20]