Syrian Martyrs' Brigades

Union of Martyrs of Syria Battalions and Brigades
تجمع كتائب وألوية شهداء سوريا
Official logo of the Syrian Martyrs' Brigade
Leaders	Jamal Maarouf Capt. Yusuf Yahya (2011–12)[1] Lt. Alaa Hussein (POW)[1]
Dates of operation	15 December 2011 – 5 May 2015
Group(s)	Martyrs of Mount Zawiya Battalion[2]
Headquarters	Jabal Zawiya, Idlib Governorate, Syria
Active regions	Syria Idlib Governorate Hama Governorate Aleppo Governorate Latakia Governorate Raqqa Governorate Damascus Governorate Rif Dimashq Governorate
Size	7,000[2]–12,000[3]
Part of	Free Syrian Army[4] Idlib Military Council Syria Revolutionaries Front[5]
Allies	Saudi Arabia Turkey Qatar Islamic Front Army of Mujahedeen Sham Legion Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (until 2014) al-Nusra Front (until September 2014)
Opponents	Syrian Armed Forces Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Nusra Front (since September 2014)
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011–March 2012) Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2012–April 2013) Battle of Aleppo 2014 Idlib offensive Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict
Designated as a terrorist group by	United Arab Emirates[6]

The Syrian Martyrs' Brigades, full name Union of Martyrs of Syria Battalions and Brigades (Arabic: تجمع كتائب وألوية شهداء سوريا), was a unit of the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front which was active in the Idlib Governorate. The unit was formed during the early years of the Syrian Civil War in order to fight against the Syrian Government.

Background

The Martyrs of Mount Zawiya Battalion was formed on 15 December 2011, operating from the 33 villages that make up the rural Jabal Zawiya region south-west of Idlib.^[1] Unlike the other major rebel group that operates out of Jabal Zawiya, Suqour al-Sham, the Martyrs of Mount Zawiya Battalion has been tied closely to the Idlib Military Council, a provincial-level military structure that integrates different rebel groups.^[1] By July 2012, as the group expanded its size and operating territory from the Turkish border in the north to Hama in the south, it had changed its name and merged with other groups.^[2]

The group was led by Jamal Maarouf^[7] (also known as Abu Khalid), who once hunted and worked in construction, and was one of the first men in the area to take up arms against the Syrian security forces,^[8] the group has grown to become one of the largest rebel factions in Idlib Governorate.

The Syrian Martyrs' Brigades has traditionally relied on its support from local communities,^[3] and much of their weapons has been captured from government forces or purchased from corrupt army units,^[9] but it has been reported that the group also receives funds and weaponry from Saudi Arabia.^[7][10]

Popular support for the Martyrs' Brigades dwindled throughout much of 2013 due to the groups perceived lack of any defined ideology and allegations of criminality from rival rebel groups. In December 2013 Maarouf and his group became the leading figures in a new rebel alliance called the Syrian Revolutionaries Front.^[11]

Activity

After placing the Syrian Air Force base at Abu al-Duhur under siege, the Syrian Martyrs' Brigades were credited with downing two MiG-21 and one MiG-23 jet fighters in August and September 2012, including one reportedly shot down by Maarouf himself.^[9]

In January 2014, the Syrian Martyrs' Brigades killed Haji Bakr, a senior military commander in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.^[12]

Ideology

Unlike the Islamist Suqour al-Sham, the Martyrs of Mount Zawiya Battalion had been described as not motivated by any particular ideology, although the leadership came from a background of Sunni Muslim observance and traditional rural values.^[3] The groups subunits were often named after Syrian nationalist figures rather than Islamic ones.^[13] Maarouf did not advocate an Islamic state, and was wary of Islamist groups, however his group cooperates with them on the battlefield.^[3]

See also

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

References

External links