Descendants of Saladin Brigade: Difference between revisions
Greek Hades (talk | contribs) →History: added information that the group members were arrested |
Greek Hades (talk | contribs) m Added another citation |
||
| Line 48: | Line 48: | ||
Liwa Ahfad Saladin participated in the [[Battle of al-Bab|offensive]] to capture the city of [[al-Bab]] and the town of [[Qabasin]] as part of the [[Turkish military intervention in Syria]] in late 2016 and early 2017. As part of its participation, the group requested Turkey to allow the flag of Kurdistan to be raised in Qabasin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aletihadpress.com/2017/03/31/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%AF/|title=Commander of the descendants of Saladin: the Kurdish flag is raised in Turkey and Qabasin approval|work=Al-Etihad Press|date=31 March 2017}}</ref> On 3 April 2017, Ahrar al-Sham reportedly attacked Liwa Ahfad Saladin in Qabasin and captured more than 8 of their fighters, including a commander. Hours later, the prisoners were released after negotiations, although tensions between the two groups remain.<ref name=tensions/> |
Liwa Ahfad Saladin participated in the [[Battle of al-Bab|offensive]] to capture the city of [[al-Bab]] and the town of [[Qabasin]] as part of the [[Turkish military intervention in Syria]] in late 2016 and early 2017. As part of its participation, the group requested Turkey to allow the flag of Kurdistan to be raised in Qabasin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aletihadpress.com/2017/03/31/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%AF/|title=Commander of the descendants of Saladin: the Kurdish flag is raised in Turkey and Qabasin approval|work=Al-Etihad Press|date=31 March 2017}}</ref> On 3 April 2017, Ahrar al-Sham reportedly attacked Liwa Ahfad Saladin in Qabasin and captured more than 8 of their fighters, including a commander. Hours later, the prisoners were released after negotiations, although tensions between the two groups remain.<ref name=tensions/> |
||
In July 2017, the commander of Liwa Ahfad Saladin declared that the group will not participate in a planned Turkish-backed offensive against the SDF in the [[Afrin Canton]] and the [[Shahba region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2017/07/turkey-backed-rebel-group-refuses-attack-kurdish-town-north-syria/|title=Turkey-backed rebel group refuses to attack Kurdish town north Syria|work=ARA News|author=Wladimir van Wilgenburg|date=4 July 2017}}</ref> The group was reportedly disarmed and arrested by the Turkish Army after the announcement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://syriancivilwarmap.com/|title=Syrian Civil War Map / Live Map of the Syrian Civil War|website=Syrian Civil War Map|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-05}}</ref> |
In July 2017, the commander of Liwa Ahfad Saladin declared that the group will not participate in a planned Turkish-backed offensive against the SDF in the [[Afrin Canton]] and the [[Shahba region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2017/07/turkey-backed-rebel-group-refuses-attack-kurdish-town-north-syria/|title=Turkey-backed rebel group refuses to attack Kurdish town north Syria|work=ARA News|author=Wladimir van Wilgenburg|date=4 July 2017}}</ref> The group was reportedly disarmed and arrested by the Turkish Army after the announcement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://syriancivilwarmap.com/|title=Syrian Civil War Map / Live Map of the Syrian Civil War|website=Syrian Civil War Map|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/fractures-emerge-among-pro-turkish-forces-northern-syria-1853945733|title=Syria war: Turkey 'disbands rebel battalion' as alliances collapse|work=Middle East Eye|access-date=2017-07-05|language=en}}</ref> |
||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Revision as of 12:12, 5 July 2017
| Descendants of Saladin Brigade | |
|---|---|
| لواء أحفاد صلاح الدين Liwa Ahfad Saladin | |
 A variant of the Syrian opposition flag used by Liwa Ahfad Saladin, in addition to the flag of Kurdistan and the regular independence flag | |
| Leaders | Mahmoud Khallo (nom de guerre "Abu Hamza")[1] |
| Dates of operation | 2016–present |
| Headquarters | Azaz and Mare' |
| Active regions | Aleppo Governorate |
| Ideology | Syrian nationalism Islamic democracy |
| Part of |  Free Syrian Army
|
| Allies |  Turkey Kurdish National Council |
| Opponents |  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Syrian Democratic Forces |
| Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War |
The Descendants of Saladin Brigade (Arabic: لواء أحفاد صلاح الدين; Liwa Ahfad Saladin), is a Free Syrian Army group active in the northern Aleppo Governorate. The group is supported by Turkey and armed by the United States. The group mainly fights the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant but also opposes the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the People's Protection Units and including the Army of Revolutionaries, which includes the Kurdish Front, another Kurdish FSA group.[1]
Named after the Kurdish founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, Saladin, the group claims to have 600 members, primarily Kurdish, with one third of its fighters being Arabs and Syrian Turkmen, in addition to one Christian and one Alawite fighter. They along with the Dhi Qar Brigade were part of Division 99 in 2016.[2] The Dhi Qar Brigade later left to join the Hamza Division.
Liwa Ahfad Saladin members are described as "gangs" by the pro-SDF newspapers such as Hawar News Agency.[3][4] ARA News reported in April 2017 that the group has "minimal support" among Kurds in Syria and only has a "small number of fighters".[5]
Ideology
The group opposes the Federation of Northern Syria declared by the Syrian Democratic Forces and claims not to be secular, instead supporting civil democracy with equal rights for all ethnicities. It also claim the Democratic Union Party to be a proxy of the Syrian government.[2]
History
In March 2016 Ahrar ash-Sham ordered the group to take down the flag of Kurdistan from its headquarters and threatened military force.[6] However, Liwa Ahfad Saladin's commander denied the incident ever occurred and claimed Ahrar ash-Sham to be its ally.[2]
Liwa Ahfad Saladin participated in the offensive to capture the city of al-Bab and the town of Qabasin as part of the Turkish military intervention in Syria in late 2016 and early 2017. As part of its participation, the group requested Turkey to allow the flag of Kurdistan to be raised in Qabasin.[7] On 3 April 2017, Ahrar al-Sham reportedly attacked Liwa Ahfad Saladin in Qabasin and captured more than 8 of their fighters, including a commander. Hours later, the prisoners were released after negotiations, although tensions between the two groups remain.[5]
In July 2017, the commander of Liwa Ahfad Saladin declared that the group will not participate in a planned Turkish-backed offensive against the SDF in the Afrin Canton and the Shahba region.[8] The group was reportedly disarmed and arrested by the Turkish Army after the announcement.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Kurd turns on Kurd as Turkey backs new faction in Syria". Middle East Eye. 16 March 2016.
- ^ a b c "Commander of Kurdish FSA brigade: 'Federalism is not an effective system for Syria'". Syria:direct. 11 April 2016.
- ^ "BARZAN'İ DESTEKLİ ENKS ÇETELERİ 10'DAN FAZLA KÜRDÜ KATLETTİ". AmedToday Haber. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ "SUK ve ENKS çeteleri YPG mevzisine saldırdı" (in Turkish). Hawar News Agency. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ a b Wladimir van Wilgenburg (5 April 2017). "Tensions increase between Turkey-backed rebels in Northern Aleppo". ARA News.
- ^ "Syrian rebels ban Kurdish flag in Aleppo". ARA News. 27 March 2016.
- ^ "Commander of the descendants of Saladin: the Kurdish flag is raised in Turkey and Qabasin approval". Al-Etihad Press. 31 March 2017.
- ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (4 July 2017). "Turkey-backed rebel group refuses to attack Kurdish town north Syria". ARA News.
- ^ "Syrian Civil War Map / Live Map of the Syrian Civil War". Syrian Civil War Map. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Syria war: Turkey 'disbands rebel battalion' as alliances collapse". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
