Army of Conquest explained

Army of Conquest
Native Name:جيش الفتح
Native Name Lang:ar
War:the Syrian Civil War
Active:24 March 2015[1] – 27 January 2017
Ideology:Sunni Islamism[2]
Clans:
Headquarters:Idlib, Syria
Area:Syria
Size:50,000+[10]
Allies:
Battles:Syrian Civil War

The Army of Conquest (Arabic: جيش الفتح) or Jaish al-Fatah, abbreviated JaF, was a joint command center of Sunni Islamist Syrian rebel factions participating in the Syrian Civil War.

The alliance was formed in March 2015 under the supervision and coordination of Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini. It consists of Islamist rebel factions mainly active in the Idlib Governorate, with some factions active in the Hama and Latakia Governorates. In the course of the following months, it seized most of Idlib Governorate.[13] [14]

The Institute for the Study of War has described Jaish al-Fatah as an "anti-regime" and "anti-Hezbollah" powerbroker operating in the Idlib, Hama, Daraa and Quneitra Governorates.[15] Jaish al-Fatah has been described by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change as an "al-Qaeda led coalition" which was working towards the ultimate goal of creating an "Islamic state."[16]

Participants

At its founding, Jaish al-Fatah contained six members, two of whom (al-Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa) were directly connected to al-Qaeda.[17] With Ahrar al-Sham being the largest group,[18] al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham together were reported to represent 90 percent of the troops.[19] Another prominent Islamist faction in the operations room was Sham Legion (Faylaq Al-Sham). The remaining three founding members were Jaish al-Sunna; Liwa al-Haqq, and Ajnad al-Sham. Jaish al-Fatah collaborated with more moderate Free Syrian Army factions such as Knights of Justice Brigade.[20]

The coalition's initial success was attributed to its strong coherence, with the name of individual factions being forbidden when the group conducts joint operations.[21]

Since the inter-rebel conflicts across Idlib, which led to Ahrar al-Sham clashing with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and the defections and mergers which started on 21 January 2017, the Army of Conquest has become defunct.

History

Formation

Jaish al-Fatah declared its formation on 24 March 2015. On the same day, a pro-opposition source claimed that about fifty Syrian government soldiers defected to the new group. As columnist David Ignatius reported, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia were the primary sponsors of the new coalition that was led by al-Nusra.[22] [23] Since the very beginning, the three states allegedly provided conspicuous material support to the group, mostly consisting of weapons and military equipment. In 2016, shortly after al-Nusra changed its name in Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Financial Times reporter Erica Solomon quoted rebels and activists claiming that Qatar and Saudi Arabia were consistently ferrying in cash and supplies to support a military offensive in Aleppo directed by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.[24]

In general, over the past years Qatar's support for the al-Nusra front has remained constant in spite of the group's rebranding operation and several strategic alliances and mergers.[25] [26] [27] In fact, Qatar's sponsorship for the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria was in line with Doha's strategy to expand its regional influence by investing on the increasing role of key actors – including extremist and terrorist entities – in a number of international arenas.[28]

The Army of Conquest captured Idlib City on 28 March 2015.[29] In the following months, they spearheaded an offensive that drove out government forces from almost all of Idlib Governorate. Following this success, additional branches of the Army of Conquest were established in other parts of Syria.[30]

The Army of Conquest coalition was partially modelled upon the success of the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army,[31] and in turn newer coalitions, like the Battle of Victory, were modelled on the Army of Conquest.[32]

Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini played a key role in the early history of the Army of Conquest. In fact, Muhayisini coordinated and supervised the establishment of the group, for which he also served as a religious judge and leader. He was targeted by U.S. Treasury Sanctions on 10 November 2016, for his role as mediator and recruiter on behalf of the al-Nusra Front.[33] [34] Notably, Muhaysini also collected material and financial support for al-Nusra from the Gulf, especially, Qatar, and was known for his public endorsement of Qatar-based "Madid Ahl al-Sham", a most effective fundraising campaign which al-Nusra itself acknowledged as "one of the preferred conduits for donations".[35] [36] [37]

Expansion to other parts of Syria

In early May 2015, the Army of Conquest formed a new branch in Western Qalamoun, called Army of Conquest – al-Qalamoun. On 1 October 2015, after defeats by pro-Assad forces, Army of Conquest in Qalamoun was replaced by an independent faction called Saraya Ahl al-Sham, which aims to unite all rebel factions in Western Qalamoun. However, the al-Nusra Front was not included in Saraya Ahl al-Sham, although the two groups continued to cooperate.[38]

The following month, the al-Nusra Front issued a statement calling on the opposition in the Eastern Ghouta area of Damascus to form a similar coalition,[39] but this call was rejected by the Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta,[40] a grouping which includes the most prominent factions in the area.

In October 2015 Army of Conquest members al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham (also a member of the Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta), along with other groups formed Jund al-Malahm, an operations room in the Eastern Ghouta area of Damascus, in direct competition with the Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta operations room.

On 20 June, the Army of Conquest in the southern region was established[41] [42] and immediately took part in the campaign in Quneitra.[43] The coalition includes Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra Front, the Fatah al-Sham Coalition, Ihyaa al-Jihad Brigade, Mujahideen of Nawa Gathering, Lions of Unity Brigade, Ansar al-Haq Brigade, and the Islamic Brigade of al- Omarein.

In July 2016, the al-Nusra Front renamed itself as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, restructured the group further, and began to create propaganda to support their offensives across the Aleppo Governorate.

Restructuring

On 23 October 2015, Jund al-Aqsa announced a split from Jaysh al-Fatah,[44] reportedly due to disagreements with Ahrar al-Sham over the application of Islamic law in areas under their control. Following this development, there were unconfirmed reports that al-Nusra Front, in an act of solidarity with Jund al-Aqsa, left the coalition,[45] or that Jund al-Aqsa would be rejoining Jaysh al-Fateh.[46] In January 2016, the Sham Legion announced it was leaving the group, ostensibly to redeploy its forces to Aleppo, but also due to tensions with Jund al-Aqsa.[47]

In May 2016, the Army of Conquest announced it was restructuring, ending ties with Jund al-Aqsa while readmitting the Sham Legion. It was also joined by the Turkistan Islamic Party, a jihadist group composed of Uyghurs from Xinjiang.

On 24 September 2016, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement joined the group.[48] Several days later, the Suqour al-Sham Brigade also joined the group.

On 9 October, Jund al-Aqsa rejoined Al-Nusra Front, thus rejoining the Army of Conquest, though on 23 January 2017 they were kicked out of Al-Nusra and by extension the Army of Conquest.

On 23 January 2017, the al-Nusra Front attacked Jabhat Ahl al-Sham bases in Atarib and other towns in western Aleppo. All of their bases were captured and by 24 January, the group was defeated and joined Ahrar al-Sham.[49]

Battles

Date Battle Place Against Result
24–28 March 2015 Victory
22 April – 14 June 2015 Idlib and Hama Governorates Victory
4 May – 21 June 2015 Hezbollah
Defeat
28 July–28 August 2015 Victory
28 March 2015 – 19 July 2018 Victory
March – 9 September 2015 Victory
7 October – 10 November 2015 Indecisive
1 April – 18 June 2016 Victory
27 June – 12 August 2016 Defeat
31 July – 6 August 2016 Victory
11 August – 11 September 2016 Defeat
22 September – 16 October 2016

Defeat
28 October – 12 November 2016

Defeat
15 November – 22 December 2016

Defeat

War crimes

On 11 June 2016, the al-Nusra Front killed at least 20 Druze villagers in Qalb Lawzeh in Idlib province.[50]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: News Update 3-25-15. Syria Direct. 25 March 2015. 28 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150328085848/http://syriadirect.org/rss/1941-syria-direct-news-update-3-25-15. dead.
  2. News: Rebels seek to storm Idlib amid chemical fears. 25 March 2015. NOW. 27 March 2015. 2 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402205543/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/565025-rebels-seek-to-storm-idlib-amid-chemical-fears. dead.
  3. Web site: Hoping to break into encircled east Aleppo, rebels surprise with attack from southwest. 1 August 2016. Syria Direct. 7 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Jund al Aqsa. 7 May 2018. Standford Mapping Terrorism.
  5. Web site: Mark on Twitter: "Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki join Jaish al-Fatah in northern . Twitter.com . 2016-09-24 . 2017-03-02.
  6. Web site: Jaysh al Fath coalition launches new offensive in Aleppo province. The Long War Journal.
  7. Web site: Hassan Hassan حسن on Twitter: "Zinki and Suqour al-Sham (recently defected from Ahrar al-Sham) join Jaish al-Fateh (which includes Ahrar al-Sham)." . Twitter.com . 2016-09-27 . 2017-03-02.
  8. Web site: 2 May 2016. Army of Conquest" returns again and includes the Turkistan Party. live. Arabi 21. https://web.archive.org/web/20211203181640/https://m.arabi21.com/Story/905793 . 3 December 2021 .
  9. Web site: North Caucasian Militants May Be Seeking Syria Exit . . Neil Hauer . 19 April 2018 . 13 August 2018.
  10. http://www.theweek.co.uk/88045/hayat-tahrir-al-sham-hardliners-take-over-syrias-opposition Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham: Hardliners take over Syria's opposition
  11. Web site: Jihadist coalition captures checkpoints around city of Idlib. 27 March 2015. Long War Journal.
  12. Web site: Al Qaeda and allies form coalition to battle Syrian regime in Idlib. 24 March 2015. Long War Journal.
  13. Web site: Ryan Rifai . Syrian group claims control of Idlib province . . 6 June 2015 . 25 June 2015.
  14. News: Turkey and Saudi Arabia alarm the West by backing Islamist extremists the Americans had bombed in Syria . Kim Sengupta . The Independent . 12 May 2015.
  15. Jennifer Cafarella . Genevieve Casagrande . 7 October 2015 . Syrian Opposition Guide . Backgrounder . . 3 . .
  16. Web site: 2015 . If the Castle Falls: Exploring the ideology and objectives of the Syrian rebellion . 2022-03-31 . Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
  17. "U.S. sanctions jihadist Syrian rebel group Jund al-Aqsa". Reuters. 20 September 2016.
  18. News: Syrian rebels fight Syrian army near Assad heartland . Newsweek . Reuters . 30 April 2015 . 1 May 2015 . As the biggest group in Army of Fatah, Ahrar al-Sham appears to hold the key to preventing infighting..
  19. News: Gulf allies and 'Army of Conquest . . 28 May 2015 . "Jabhat Al-Nusra and Ahrar Al-Sham represent 90 per cent of the troops. The Saudis and Qataris are to provide funding for 40 per cent of the coalition’s needs" . 3 October 2015 . 12 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180712044423/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12392/21/Gulf-allies-and-%E2%80%98Army-of-Conquest%E2%80%99.aspx . dead .
  20. News: 'Army of Conquest' rebel alliance pressures Syria regime . AFP. 28 April 2015 . 2 May 2015. The coalition, whose formation was announced in March, comprises a range of mostly jihadist and Islamist groups, the most prominent being Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and the powerful Islamist Ahrar al-Sham [...] Other important members include Faylaq al-Sham, a coalition of Muslim Brotherhood-linked battalions, and Jund al-Aqsa, a small jihadist group..
  21. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fdd1ac8c422a4b81bbe2a2f46cebbcaf/syrian-insurgent-gains-expose-assad-weaknesseshttp:/bigstory.ap.org/article/fdd1ac8c422a4b81bbe2a2f46cebbcaf/syrian-insurgent-gains-expose-assad-weaknesses "Syrian Insurgent gains expose Assad Weaknesses"
  22. News: A new cooperation on Syria. Ignatius. David. 2015-05-12. The Washington Post. 2017-03-14. Ignatius. David. en-US. 0190-8286.
  23. Web site: Weinberg . David Andrew . Qatar and Terror Finance - Part II: Private Funders of al-Qaeda in Syra . Foundation for Defense of Democracies . https://web.archive.org/web/20170201075052/http://www.defenddemocracy.org/content/uploads/documents/11717_Weinberg_Qatar_Report.pdf . 1 February 2017 . January 2017 . live.
  24. News: Solomon . Erika . 8 August 2016 . Outside help behind rebel advances in Aleppo . Financial Times .
  25. News: Al-Nusra's New Identity Presents Qatar With Unprecedented Opportunity. Consortium Against Terrorist Finance. 2017-03-14. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315174347/http://stopterrorfinance.org/stories/510985787-al-nusra-s-new-identity-presents-qatar-with-unprecedented-opportunity. 15 March 2017. dead.
  26. News: Infighting Erupts Between Turkey and Qatar Sponsored Groups in Syria: Will JFS Take Over?. Consortium Against Terrorist Finance. 2017-03-14. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315090023/http://stopterrorfinance.org/stories/511076954-infighting-erupts-between-turkey-and-qatar-sponsored-groups-in-syria-will-jfs-take-over. 15 March 2017. dead.
  27. Web site: Qatar and Terror Finance - Part I: Negligence . Weinberg . David Andrew . December 2014 . Foundation for Defense of Democracies . 14 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170421075443/http://www.defenddemocracy.org/content/uploads/publications/Qatar_Part_I.pdf . 21 April 2017 . dead . dmy-all .
  28. News: Gulf crisis seen widening split in Syria rebellion. Reuters.
  29. News: Qaeda, allies seize Syria's Idlib city in blow to regime. 28 March 2015 . AFP . 4 April 2015.
  30. Web site: New coalition shakes Syria's Assad regime . The Sydney Morning Herald . Pollard . Ruth . 9 May 2015 . 9 November 2015 . The model is now being copied in areas such as the Qalamoun – the mountain ranges between Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and Syria.
  31. Web site: In Syria, Support for Rebel Unity Carries Risks . Stratfor . 30 April 2015 . 1 May 2015 . With the Southern Front success as a model, rebel backers then sought to deploy similar methods in the north. . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306195116/https://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/syria-support-rebel-unity-carries-risks . 6 March 2016 . dead .
  32. News: Jocelyn. Thomas. Al Nusrah Front, allies launch new offensives against Syrian regime. Long War Journal. 23 April 2015.
  33. Web site: Treasury Designates Key Al-Nusrah Front Leaders. www.treasury.gov. en-us. 2017-03-14.
  34. Web site: US Treasury designates Saudi jihadist cleric, three others in Syria FDD's Long War Journal. FDD's Long War Journal. 10 November 2016. en-US. 2017-03-14.
  35. News: Al-Nusra and its Gulf Financiers: The Political Cost of a Long-Running Alliance. Consortium Against Terrorist Finance. 2017-03-14. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20170313003157/http://stopterrorfinance.org/stories/510937020-al-nusra-and-its-gulf-financiers-the-political-cost-of-a-long-running-alliance. 13 March 2017. dead. dmy-all.
  36. News: Syrian conflict said to fuel sectarian tensions in Persian Gulf. Washington Post. 2017-03-14.
  37. News: Chapter 2. Country Reports: Middle East and North Africa Overview. U.S. Department of State. 2017-03-14.
  38. Web site: Syria rebels form new Qalamoun coalition. 1 October 2015. NOW. 1 October 2015. 3 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181203175431/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/565991-syria-rebels-form-new-qalamoun-coalition. dead.
  39. Web site: Nusra demands Syrian rebels to unite against Assad in Damascus . https://web.archive.org/web/20150611100316/http://aranews.net/2015/06/nusra-demands-syrian-rebels-to-unite-against-assad-in-damascus/ . dead . 11 June 2015 . ARA News . Yousef . Sarbaz . 11 June 2015 . 11 June 2015 .
  40. Web site: The Unified Military Command of the Eastern Ghouta refuses the invitation of Jabhat al- Nusra to establish "al- Fateh Army in the Ghouta" calling it to disband its judicial councils and join "the Unified Command" . sohranas . Syrian Observatory For Human Rights . 26 June 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626152538/http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/06/the-unified-military-command-of-the-eastern-ghouta-refuses-the-invitation-of-jabhat-al-nusra-to-establish-al-fateh-army-in-the-ghouta-calling-it-to-disband-its-judicial-councils/ . 26 June 2015 .
  41. Web site: فصائل سورية تشكل فرعا لجيش الفتح بالمنطقة الجنوبية. الجزيرة نت.
  42. Web site: Some factions establish "al- Fateh Army" in the south of Syria. sohranas. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 20 June 2015. 25 June 2015.
  43. Web site: Charles Lister on Twitter. Twitter. 25 June 2015.
  44. Web site: Al Qaeda front group claims success in key Syrian town. Long War Journal. 5 November 2015. 9 November 2015.
  45. Web site: Reports: Al-Nusra Front leaves Jaish al-Fatah coalition in Syria. Middle East Eye.
  46. Web site: Sam Heller . The End of the Army of Conquest? Syrian Rebel Alliance Shows Cracks . 9 November 2015 . 7 December 2015.
  47. News: Syrian rebel group says exits Islamist alliance to refocus fight. Reuters. 3 January 2016. 3 January 2016.
  48. Web site: Mark on Twitter: "Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki join Jaish al-Fatah in northern" . Twitter.com . 2016-09-24 . 2017-03-02.
  49. Web site: منذ 3 اشهر . وكالة قاسيون للأنباء | جيش المجاهدين يعلن انضمامه لحركة أحرار الشام . Qasioun.net . 2017-03-02 . 26 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170126163729/https://www.qasioun.net/ar/news/show/48838/%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86_%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87_%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9_%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85 . dead .
  50. Web site: Activists: Al Qaeda affiliate kills 20 members of minority sect in Syria . AP . Fox News . 14 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924191321/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/06/11/activists-al-qaida-nusra-front-kills-20-members-druze-sect-in-syria/ . 24 September 2015 . dead . dmy-all .

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