Free Idlib Army
| Free Idlib Army | |
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جيش إدلب الحر Participant in the Syrian Civil War | |
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| Active | 19 September 2016–present |
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The Free Idlib Army is a Syrian rebel coalition consisting of 3 armed groups from northwestern Syria affiliated with the Free Syrian Army: the 13th Division, the Northern Division, and the Mountain Hawks Brigade.[1]
Equipment
The Free Idlib Army is known for possessing several new BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers which they used to bombard Syrian Army positions in southern Aleppo. One of the group's commanders, Fares al-Bayoush, confirmed that the rocket systems were newly supplied from foreign sponsors.[6]
History
On 25 August 2016, the commander of the Northern Division, Lieutenant colonel Faris Bayoush announced that talks are made in Idlib on the unification of the three FSA-affiliated rebel groups in northwestern Syria. He stated that eventually the merger will be complete and the three component groups will dissolve into the main faction.[7]
At it establishment on 19 September 2016, the coalition aims to prioritise fighting the Syrian government and establish relations and coordinate with the Salafist factions of the Army of Conquest, including Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda's renamed al-Nusra Front.[2] However an opposition source stated that the Free Idlib Army will not closely cooperate with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.[3] Just a day before, the Mountain Hawks Brigade withdrew from the front against ISIL near Jarabulus and Azaz in order to head to southern Aleppo and Idlib.[8] The commander aims for an eventual full merger between the 3 groups after forming a new command structure.[4]
On 23 September Russian warplanes bombed a cave in Taybat al-Imam, killing 22 fighters from the Free Idlib Army.[5]
In early October a number of Mountain Hawks Brigade fighters defected to join Jabhat Fateh al-Sham due to several disagreements, mainly to the established of the Free Idlib Army.[9]
See also
- 5th Corps (Syrian rebel group)
- 101st Infantry Division (Syrian rebel group)
- List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
External links
References
- 1 2 "New rebel group formed in Idlib". Al-Masdar News. 20 September 2016.
- 1 2 "Free Idlib Army is Close to Form … Learn its main factions". El-Dorar. 20 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Syria rebels form Free Idlib Army". Now News. 23 September 2016.
- 1 2 "FSA in Idlib… A new launch towards unified military action". RFS Media Office. 20 September 2016.
- 1 2 "Russian raid kills 22 fighters from the Free Army in Hama". Feda News. 24 September 2016.
- ↑ "Syrian rebels get new rockets from foreign states: commander". Reuters. 28 September 2016.
- ↑ "Lieutenant-colonel Faris Bayoush to RFS: We Have to Be One Force Against Assad". RFS Media Office. 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Brigade Mountain Hawks stopped work in northern Syria until further notice". All4Syria. 18 September 2016.
- ↑ US-backed rebels defect to al-Qaeda branch in Syria Al Masdar News, 5 October 2016
