Ansar al-Sunnah

Ansar al-Sunnah (Supporters of Sunnah) was a Iraqi militant group that fought against US troops and their allies in the Iraq War. The group was made up of Kurdish and Arab fighters. The group has been designated a terrorist group by the UK since late 2005.^[3] It was founded in 2003 by former members of Ansar al-Islam who went to Iran after the start of the Iraq War.^[4] The group is named as Ansar al-Sunnah as an alias for Ansar al-Islam.^[5] The group has also had its name used by small splinter groups in 2014 after the disbandment of Ansar al-Sunnah.^[6]

Ansar al-Sunnah جَمَاعَةُ أَنْصَارِ السُّنَّةِ
Leaders	Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i Abu Wayil
Dates of operation	September 2003 – December 2007 (Subsequently operated under name of Ansar al-Ahlu Sunnah)[1]
Active regions	Iraq (2003-2011)
Ideology	Sunni Islamism Sufism
Size	1,000+[source?]
Allies	Syria[2] Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order Islamic Army of Iraq Islamic State of Iraq 1920 Revolution Brigade Jaish al-Rashideen Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance Hamas of Iraq Jeish Muhammad
Opponents	Iraq  United States Mahdi Army  Iraqi Kurdistan Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2007)
Battles and wars	Iraq War Iraq Spring Fighting of 2004 Battle of Mosul (2004) Islamic Army–Al-Qaeda conflict Sectarian violence in Iraq (2006–2008)
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Preceded by Ansar al-Sunnah Succeeded by Ansar al Ahlu Sunnah Ansar al-Islam