Jaysh al-Jihad (Jihad Army) was an Islamist rebel group based in Quneitra Governorate. The group formed from the merger of seven small independent groups and factions that defected from Nusra Front after it clashed with the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade in December 2014. These groups were: Jihad Brigades, Jamaat Jund al-Islam, Jamaat Abu Baseer, Mujahideen of al-Sham movement, Jamaat Shabab Ahl al-Sunnah, Nurayn Brigade, and Jamaat Bunyan al-Marsous.[1]
| Jaysh al-Jihad | |
|---|---|
| جيش الجهاد | |
Logo of the group Flag used by the group | |
| Leaders | Abu Mussab Al-Fanussy |
| Dates of operation | February 2015[1] – 21 May 2016 |
| Headquarters | Al-Qahtaniyah, Quneitra[1] |
| Active regions | Quneitra Governorate and Daraa Governorate, Syria[1] |
| Ideology | Salafi Jihadism |
| Size | 500[1] |
| Part of |  Islamic State (allegedly) |
| Allies | Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War |
The group had been accused by other Syrian rebel groups of being affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[6][7] In April 2015, violent clashes broke out between the group and the Free Syrian Army and al-Nusra Front, after Jaish al-Jihad militants ambushed and killed six FSA fighters at a checkpoint in Quneitra.[8] By 6 May 2015, Nusra and other rebel groups announced that they had cleared al-Qahtaniyah and Quneitra city of Jaysh al-Jihad forces.[1]
In May 2016, remnants of Jaysh al-Jihad joined with two other Pro-ISIL factions in Southern Syria, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade and Islamic Muthanna Movement, to form the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f "The Islamic State in Southern Syria" (PDF). Carter Center. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Islamist fighters seize southern Syria crossing: monitor". Reuters. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ "Jihadists clash with Syrian rebels along Israel's border". AP. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "Rebels fight ISIS-linked group near Israeli-occupied Golan". AFP. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "Syrian rebels expel ISIS from town near Israeli border". ARA News. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ ""جيش الجهاد".. هل هو خلايا نائمة لـ"داعش" في درعا والقنيطرة؟". Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "دوت مصر - 7 فصائل سورية تعلن إنشاء "جيش الجهاد"". دوت مصر. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "The emergence of IS in southern Syria". Middle East Eye. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Far from Raqqa and Fallujah , Syria rebels open new front against ISIL in the south". The National. 29 May 2016.