Syrian Liberation Front

The Syrian Liberation Front (Arabic: جبهة تحرير سوريا‎, Jabhat Tahrir Suriya, JTS) is a Syrian rebel group that was formed in early 2018.[13] and is based out of the Aleppo Governorate in northwestern Syria.

Not to be confused with Syrian Islamic Liberation Front or National Front for the Liberation of Syria.
Syrian Liberation Front
Arabic: جبهة تحرير سوريا‎
Jabhat Tahrir Suriya
Leaders
  • Hassan Soufan[1] (general commander)
  • Sheikh Tawfiq Shahabuddin[2]
    (deputy commander and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement commander)
  • Hussam Atrash[2]
    (head of political bureau)
  • Capt. Khalid Abu Yaman[2]
    (military commander)
  • Jaber Ali Pasha ("Abu Bara")[3]
    (Ahrar al-Sham deputy commander)
Dates of operationFebruary 2018 – present
Group(s)
Active regionsSyria
IdeologySunni Islamism[5]
Part ofRevolutionaries of Atarib (2018)[6]
Maarrat al-Nu'man Military Council (2018)[7]
National Front for Liberation (since August 2018)[8]
Allies Turkey[9]
Syrian National Army
Jaysh al-Ahrar
Suqour al-Sham Brigades[10]
Tahrir al-Sham (sometimes, ceasefire since April 2018)
Opponents Syrian Armed Forces[1]

 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Syrian Democratic Forces

Tahrir al-Sham (ceasefire since April 2018)[11]
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

Leadership

Initially, Jaber Ali Pasha, deputy commander of Ahrar al-Sham, was nominated as the general commander of the Syrian Liberation Front.[3] Sheikh Tawfiq Shahabuddin, commander of the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, was named the deputy commander. Hussam Atrash and Captain Khalid Abu Yaman were appointed as the political and military commanders of the group.[2] However, after hours of disputes over leadership positions, Hassan Soufan, general commander of Ahrar al-Sham, took over as the general commander of the group, replacing Jaber Ali Pasha.[14] Elected in October 2017, Hassan Soufan was the leader of Ahrar al-Sham and stated he was determined to distinguish his movement from "criminal" and "corrupt" projects, such as "Hitish and Daesh".[15]

History
See also: Syrian Liberation Front–Tahrir al-Sham conflict

On Feb 18, 2018 Ahrar al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement merged and joined the Syrian Liberation Front. By doing so the SLF gained two of the largest Sunni Islamist rebel groups in northwestern Syria behind their main rival, Tahrir al-Sham. In their merger announcement both groups called on other rebel groups to join,[5] and stated that the merger was a result of an initiative by the Syrian Islamic Council.[2]

On Feb. 19 2018, the day after the merger, violent clashes erupted between the group and Tahrir al-Sham in the western Aleppo Governorate. The conflict soon spread to the Idlib Governorate where the SLF captured the city of Maarrat al-Nu'man, the towns of Ariha and Tramla, and the Wadi Deif military base from HTS on 21 February.[11]

By April 18, pro-SLF media reported that after 60 days of fighting, 750 Tahrir al-Sham fighters and 225 SLF and Suqour al-Sham Brigades fighters had been killed, 3,000 fighters from both sides had been wounded, and 15 armoured vehicles (most of them belonging to Tahrir al-Sham) had been destroyed.[16] The fighting ended with a ceasefire and gains for both sides.[17]

On 3 May 2018, the Syrian Liberation Front, Suqour al-Sham, Sham Legion, and the Free Idlib Army formed a military council in the SLF-held Maarrat al-Nu'man. The council stated that it will not allow other factions to be formed in the city.[7]

On 1 August 2018, in an effort to strengthen its position in Idlib before the Syrian Arab Army turned its attention towards the province[18] and to eliminate al-Qaida groups in the region,[19] the Syrian Liberation Front, along with 6 other groups (Suqour al-Sham Brigades, Jaysh al-Ahrar, Damascus Gathering, Unit 82 SWAT Forces, Free Hayan Brigade,[20] Free North Brigade) in the area joined the National Front for Liberation. Anad al-Darwish ("Abu al-Munathir"), considered to be Ahrar al-Sham's most powerful military commander, was named the National Front for Liberation's chief of staff.[8] As one of the 17 members of the National Front for Liberation, the Syrian Liberation Front has access to resources, weapons, and training from the Turkish government. The Turkish Government has been backing the National Front for Liberation since its inception, and in turn has been backing the Syrian Liberation Front since joining the National Front for Liberation.[21]

In January 2019, Nour al-Din al-Zenki withdrew to Afrin following the HTS-NLF conflict.[22]

References
  1. "Ahrar al-Sham, Nour al-Din al-Zenki unify against Syrian regime". Daily Sabah with Anadolu Agency. 19 February 2018.
  2. "أحرار الشام والزنكي يشكلون "جبهة تحرير سوريا"". Baladi News Network. 18 February 2018.
  3. "مصدر: جابر علي باشا قائدًا عامًا لـ "جبهة تحرير سوريا" للمزيد:". Enab Baladi. 18 February 2018.
  4. @badly_xeroxed (18 February 2018). "Liwa al-Adiyat of the Badia Sector..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. "Hardline Syria rebels announce merger". Agence France-Presse. 19 February 2018.
  6. "Syrian War Daily – 2nd of March 2018". 2 March 2018.
  7. "Junta for Revolutionary factions of Ma'arat al-Nu'man taking actions to control security". Syria Call. 3 May 2018.
  8. "Meet the leading leaders of the "National Liberation Front"". Enab Baladi. 1 August 2018.
  9. "Idlib Rebel Civil War – 28/2/18". Syrian War Daily. 1 March 2018.
  10. "Syrian War Daily – 21st of February 2018". Syrian War Daily. 21 February 2018.
  11. Waleed Khaled a-Noufal; Tariq Adely (22 February 2018). "Two of the largest factions in Syria's northwest merge, challenge HTS dominance". Syria Direct.
  12. Lindsey Snell (30 July 2018). "The Last of the Syrian Good-Guy Rebels". The Daily Beast.
  13. "No imminent decision". Nexis Uni. Alef Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  14. "خلاف يعيد حسن صوفان قائدًا لـ "جبهة تحرير سوريا" للمزيد:". Enab Baladi. 18 February 2018.
  15. "How al-Qa`ida Lost Control of its Syrian Affiliate: The Inside Story". Combating Terrorism Center. 15 February 2018.
  16. "After Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham expelled al-Zenki movement towards Afrin, hundreds of fighters of the National Liberation Front are preparing to withdraw from Idlib and Hama to the same destination". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 2019-01-10.
  17. "60 Days of clashes & Shocking numbers of deaths of HTS ,JTS & Soqour al-Sham". Syria Call. 18 April 2018.
  18. "Video: Syrian Army Carries Out Anti-ISIS Operation in Eastern Al-Suwayda". Nexis Uni. Plus Media Solutions Private Limited. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  19. Merve Şebnem Oruç (26 February 2019). "Will Putin stop a looming Idlib attack or sit on the sidelines?". Daily Sabah.
  20. "Dozens of fighters form the brigade of northern Aleppo and declare "joining the" National Front". Smart News. Smart News.
  21. "11 factions form the "National Liberation Front" in Idlib". Enab Baladi. Enab Baladi.
  22. "Eyeing greater bargaining power, Tahrir Al Sham seizes wider slices of Syria's north". The National. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
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