Jund al-Aqsa

Jund al-Aqsa
جند الأقصى
Flag of Jund al-Aqsa
Leaders	Abu Dhar al-Najdi al-Harethi[1] Abu Abdul Aziz al-Qatari †[2] Abu Musab al-Ansari † Said Arif †[3] Abu Diab al-Sarmini[4] (formerly)[5]
Dates of operation	January 2014 – 22 February 2017
Group(s)	Ansar ut-Turkistan (formerly)[6]
Headquarters	Sarmin, Idlib Governorate, Syria (2015–17)[3] Khan Shaykhun, Idlib Governorate, Syria (Feb. 2017)[7][8]
Active regions	Hama Governorate, Syria Idlib Governorate, Syria[9] Aleppo Governorate, Syria[10]
Ideology	Salafist jihadism[11]
Size	1,000+ (2014)[10] 600 (2015)[12] 800 (before October 2016)[13][14] 1,600 (late 2016)[14][better source needed] 2,100 (February 2017)[15][better source needed]
Part of	Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance (2014–2015)[9] Army of Conquest (2015–2017)[16] al-Qaeda (2014–17) Al-Nusra Front (2014 & 2016–2017)
Allies	Daesh Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria Jaysh al-Sunna[17][better source needed]
Opponents	State opponents Syria Iran Russia United States[3] Other opponents rebel groups Ahrar al-Sham Suqour al-Sham Brigade Sham Legion Free Syrian Army Tahrir al-Sham
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War 2014 Hama offensive 2014 Idlib offensive Al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict Second Battle of Idlib[18] Insurgency in Idlib 2015 Hama offensive 2016 Khanasir offensive 2016 Hama offensive October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes Idlib Governorate clashes (2017) Military intervention against ISIL American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in Syria
Preceded by Sarayat al-Quds (part of al-Nusra Front) Succeeded by * Daesh (Majority joined in February 2017) Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria (some factions) Guardians of Religion (some factions) (part of Al-Qaeda's central command)[19][better source needed] Ansar al-Tawhid[20] Guardians of Religion Organization[21]

Jund al-Aqsa (Liwa al-Aqsa after early 2017)^[22][23] was a Islamist militant group that fought in the Syrian Civil War.^[9] It used to be called Sarayat al-Quds and it was founded by Abu Abdulaziz al Qatari as a part of the Al-Nusra Front.^[10] It later broke away from the Al-Nusra Front due to fighting with Daesh.^[10] On the 20th of September 2016, the United States called Jund al-Aqsa a terrorist group.^[24] The group decided to rejoin the Al-Nusra Front which was now called Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) in October 2016.^[4] However, JFS decided to remove Jund al-Aqsa from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.^[25][26]

1. ↑ Arterbury, John (2016-05-02). "Striving for "the Grandest Epics": Forecasting the Future of Jund al-Aqsa". Bellingcat. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
2. ↑ "ISIL Commanders Killed in Syria, Iraq". Fars News. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} "An internal struggle: Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate is grappling with its identity". Brookings Institution. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Jund al-Aqsa Swears Allegiance to Former Al-Qaeda Affiliate". Enab Baladi. 10 October 2016.
5. ↑ "Details on 'Ansar Al-Tawhid', a recently established military faction in Idlib province". Aleppo 24. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
6. ↑ "ضمانات أمريكية لتركيا بالتوقف عن تسليح أكراد سوريا". جريدة الدستور الاردنية.
7. ↑ Cite error: The named reference leaves for Raqqa was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
8. ↑ Cite error: The named reference speak out was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} "Why Did Jund Al-Aqsa Join Nusra Front in Taking Out 'Moderate' Rebels in Idlib?". Huffington Post. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
11. ↑ "The new face of the Syrian rebellion". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
12. ↑ "Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front". The Long War Journal. 17 February 2016.
13. ↑ al-Omar, Saleem (13 October 2016). "Islamist Groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa Go to War". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} "Source: hundreds of fighters to leave their factions (Jund al-Aqsa) within two month". All4Syria. 7 October 2016.
15. ↑ Charkatli, Izat (23 February 2017). "Over 2,000 radical rebels defect to ISIS following intra-rebel deal". Al-Masdar. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
16. ↑ "Reports: Al-Nusra Front leaves Jaish al-Fatah coalition in Syria". Middle East Eye. 30 October 2015.
17. ↑ "‫تحرير معسكر المسطومة بالكامل 19-5-2015". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
18. ↑ "Rebels launch full-on assault of Idlib city". Syria Direct. Retrieved 25 March 2015., Syria Direct
19. ↑ Joško Barić (29 April 2018). "Syrian War Daily – 29th of April 2018". Syrian War Daily. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
20. ↑ "Dissidents of "al-Aqsa Soldiers" form the "supporters of Tawheed" in Idlib - my media network". Baladi News Network. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
21. ↑ "Split among Al-Qaeda's supporters in Syria, in light of severe differences of opinion regarding the nature of the ties with Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri - The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center". Terrorism-info.org.il. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
22. ↑ FNA (15 February 2017). "Jund al-Aqsa executes hundred members of rival groups in Idlib". ABNA24. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
23. ↑ "Search for the dead begins in Idlib after Islamic State-linked brigade leaves for Raqqa". Syria Direct. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
24. ↑ "State Department Terrorist Designation of Jund al-Aqsa". U.S. Department of State. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
25. ↑ "Nawar Oliver on Twitter". Twitter.
26. ↑ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (23 January 2017). "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham removes Jund al-Aqsa from its ranks". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 1 December 2020.