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| opponents = {{flagicon|ISIL}} [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]
| opponents = {{flagicon|ISIL}} [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]
| battles = [[Syrian Civil War]]
| battles = [[Syrian Civil War]]
*[[Eastern al-Hasakah offensive]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://syriahr.com/en/2015/02/ypg-kills-103-is-fighters-and-enters-tal-hamis-after-taking-over-103-villages/|title=YPG kills 103 IS fighters and enters Tal Hamis after taking over 103 villages|date=27 February 2015|work=SOHR|accessdate=3 March 2015}}</ref>
*[[Eastern al-Hasakah offensive]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://syriahr.com/en/2015/02/ypg-kills-103-is-fighters-and-enters-tal-hamis-after-taking-over-103-villages/ |title=YPG kills 103 IS fighters and enters Tal Hamis after taking over 103 villages |date=27 February 2015 |work=SOHR |accessdate=3 March 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302132919/http://syriahr.com/en/2015/02/ypg-kills-103-is-fighters-and-enters-tal-hamis-after-taking-over-103-villages/ |archivedate=2 March 2015 }}</ref>
*[[Western al-Hasakah offensive]]<ref name="combatants">{{cite web|url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/05/28/18733 |title=YPG, backed by al- Khabour Guards Forces, al- Sanadid army and the Syriac Military Council, expels IS out of more than 230 towns, villages and farmlands |publisher=SOHR |date=28 May 2015 |accessdate=22 June 2016 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*[[Western al-Hasakah offensive]]<ref name="combatants">{{cite web|url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/05/28/18733 |title=YPG, backed by al- Khabour Guards Forces, al- Sanadid army and the Syriac Military Council, expels IS out of more than 230 towns, villages and farmlands |publisher=SOHR |date=28 May 2015 |accessdate=22 June 2016 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*[[Battle of Al-Hasakah (June–August 2015)|Battle of Al-Hasakah]]
*[[Battle of Al-Hasakah (June–August 2015)|Battle of Al-Hasakah]]

Revision as of 08:03, 29 June 2017

Al-Sanadid Forces
قوات الصناديد
LeadersBandar al-Humaydi[1]
(Sanadid military leader)
Humaydi Daham al-Hadi[2]
(tribe leader)
Dates of operation2013–present
HeadquartersTell Hamis, Syria[3]
Active regionsRojava
Ideologypro-Shammar tribal autonomy[4]
anti-Wahhabism[4][5]
anti-House of Saud[5]
pro-breakup of Saudi Arabia[5]
Part ofSyrian Democratic Forces
Allies People's Protection Units
Women's Protection Units
Syriac Military Council
Elite Forces
Deir Ezzor Military Council
OpponentsIslamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War Iraqi insurgency
Websitehttp://alsanadid.com/

The Forces of the Brave ([Quwwat al-Sanadid قوات الصناديد/Jaysh al-Sanadid جيش الصناديد] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), generally called the al-Sanadid Forces,[13] are a militia formed by the Arab Shammar tribe to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[14] Even though tribe's Syrian strongholds are mostly in the Jazira Canton of Rojava, such as at al-Yaarubiyah and Tell Hamis. The red colour in their flag represents blood while the yellow represents the light, calling themselves “marchers on the red death”.[15] The Al-Sanadid Forces are affiliated with the co-governor/co-president of Jazira Canton and tribal leader Humaydi Daham al-Hadi, and are led by Humaydi's son Bandar al-Humaydi.[16][1][17][18][19][20]

Ideology

The al-Sanadid Forces primarily want to ensure the Shammar tribe's autonomy and security in the Al-Hasakah Governorate; furthermore, they have pledged to fight Wahhabism. Humaydi Daham al-Hadi has also expressed his ambition to facilitate the breakup of Saudi Arabia, likely to retake the former Emirate of Jabal Shammar from the House of Saud.[4][5]

The Shammar tribe generally maintains a long cooperative relationship with the Syrian Kurds since the 18th century,[4] despite a number of tribal disputes. In course of the 2004 al-Qamishli riots, the Shammar under Humaydi Daham al-Hadi were the only Arab tribe in al-Hasakah Governorate that refused to fight the Kurdish protestors for the government.[21] As result, when the al-Sanadid Forces were formed, they were set up as explicitly pro-Kurdish. Humaydi Daham al-Hadi and his son both repeatedly expressed loyalty to and support for the Kurdish forces.[4][5][21]

The al-Sanadid Forces' stance in regard to the Ba'athist government of Bashar al-Assad is ambiguous. Whereas some sources regard Humaydi Daham al-Hadi as "anti-government" figure,[21] others accuse the al-Sanadid Forces of siding with the government,[14] while strictly opposing the Syrian opposition.[22][23] The militia itself has claimed that it neither supports nor opposes Assad's rule, with Humaydi Daham al-Hadi having said that "whoever rules Damascus rules Syria".[13][4][5]

History

The Sanadid Forces in al-Shaddadi after the offensive in February 2016.

The Shammar is a historically powerful and prestigious tribal group, though their number and influence in Syria has dwindled since the independence in Syria. After the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War and the almost complete retreat of the Syrian Army from the al-Hasakah Governorate in mid 2012, Humaydi Daham al-Hadi soon aligned himself with the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD)[22] and in 2013 set up the Army of Dignity (Jaysh al-Karama), which later transformed into the al-Sanadid Forces. The alliance with the Kurds and the formation of the Army of Dignity were Humaydi's response to the growing power of Jihadi groups like ISIL in the region.[13] By aiding the PYD's YPG and YPJ in capturing much of the al-Hasakah Governorate, and especially securing the local oil fields,[21] the militia managed to grow in size and power, which allowed Humaydi Daham al-Hadi to maintain his authority over the Syrian Shammar.[22] Shammar members that were opposed to him and the PYD while supporting the Syrian opposition faced "expulsion and imprisonment" by the Army of Dignity/al-Sanadid Forces.[22][23]

As the influence of the al-Sanadid Forces and the Shammar grew, their cooperation with the PYD increased. Humaydi Daham al-Hadi was elected governor of Jazira Canton in early 2015, while the al-Sanadid Forces joined the Syrian Democratic Forces and helped to expel ISIL from the rest of the al-Hasakah Governorate in course of 2015/16.[22][16] The growing power of the Shammar was however resented by other Arab tribes in northeastern Syria such as the Tayy, which led them to oppose any attempts by the al-Sandid Forces to integrate non-Shammar tribal forces into their ranks. The other tribes have instead opted to support the Assad government[22] or even ISIL.[24]

Nevertheless, experts still consider the al-Sanadid Forces as important mediators between Arabs and Kurds, and major diplomatic asset for the PYD and SDF.[13][22] As result, the Shammar militia took part several offensives in the non-Kurdish/non-Shammar Raqqa Governorate, such as the Tishrin Dam offensive,[9] the Northern Raqqa offensive,[10] and the campaign and battle to capture Raqqa city, ISIL's de facto capital.[13][11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gutman, Roy (20 October 2015). "Syrian Arab militias dispute they received U.S. airdrop of ammunition". McClatchyDC. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Declaration of establishment by Syrian Democratic Forces". Kurdish Question. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  3. ^ Xemgin Othman (2 May 2015). "Sanadid s' Fighters Disappointment a Suicidal Operation in the Countryside of Tel Hamis". Adar Press. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Syria: Sunni force takes up arms against IS group". France24. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "New allies in northern Syria don't seem to share U.S. goals". McClathyDC. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  6. ^ "YPG kills 103 IS fighters and enters Tal Hamis after taking over 103 villages". SOHR. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "YPG, backed by al- Khabour Guards Forces, al- Sanadid army and the Syriac Military Council, expels IS out of more than 230 towns, villages and farmlands". SOHR. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ a b "War on ISIS unites Syrian Kurds, Arabs and Christians". ARA News. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  9. ^ a b "U.S.-backed alliance captures key dam from Islamic State: alliance spokesman". Reuters. 26 December 2015.
  10. ^ a b "What has happened during the Operation Liberate North Raqqa?". ANF News. 26 May 2016.
  11. ^ a b "550 km2 liberated, Wrath of Euphrates reveals outcomes". Hawar News Agency. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  12. ^ a b "Great War for the liberation of Raqqa begins". Hawar News Agency. 6 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Hassan Hassan (2017), p. 3.
  14. ^ a b Hamou, Ammar (2 November 2015). "Ahead of battle against Islamic State in Syria's northeast, one faction hesitates to join SDF". Syria Direct. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  15. ^ "Al-Sanadid forces: We go wherever the YPG goes". Hawar News Agency. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  16. ^ a b "YPG, backed by al-Khabour Guards Forces, al-Sanadid army and the Syriac Military Council, expels IS out of more than 230 towns, villages and farmlands". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  17. ^ "SDF plays central role in Syrian civil war" (PDF). IHS Jane's 360. IHS Inc. 20 January 2016. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  18. ^ Gupta, Rahila (9 April 2016). "Rojava's commitment to Jineolojî: the science of women". openDemocracy. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  19. ^ "Sanadid fighters promote their participation in Wrath of Euphrates". Hawar News Agency. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. ^ Hubbard, Ben (2 November 2015). "New U.S.-backed alliance to counter ISIS in Syria falters". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d "Syrian Kurds appoint Arab governor in Hasakah, bid for international support". Middle East Eye. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Kheder Khaddour; Kevin Mazur (28 February 2017). "Eastern Expectations: The Changing Dynamics in Syria's Tribal Regions". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  23. ^ a b "With 'Persian' Sword: 'Al-Sanadid' is the First Tribal Militia to Slaughter Syrians". Orient News (in Arabic). 3 March 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Arab tribal fighters declare war on Kurdish YPG forces, north Syria". ARA News. 20 February 2015.

Bibliography

External links

Al-Sanadid Forces website