Ahl al-Sham

Ahl Al-Sham (Arabic: غرفة أهل الشام‎) was a joint command structure and umbrella organization of four main Syrian opposition factions operating in Aleppo, Syria. The factions are:

• Syria's largest rebel group, the Islamic Front
• the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front
• the foreign Russian-speaking jihadist group Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
• and the anti-ISIL coalition, the Army of Mujahedeen.[4]

Ahl Al-Sham
غرفة أهل الشام
The official logo of Ahl Al-Sham
Dates of operation	24 February 2014[1] – 6 February 2015[2]
Group(s)	Islamic Front al-Nusra Front Army of Mujahedeen Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
Headquarters	Aleppo, Syria[3]
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Allies	Free Syrian Army Syria Revolutionaries Front[4] People's Protection Units[3] Jabhat al-Akrad
Opponents	Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army Syrian Air Force National Defence Force Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016)

The group has held talks with the People's Protection Units and Jabhat al-Akrad; they have agreed to a truce in order to focus on fighting the Assad government.[5]

The groups involved in the structure are perceived differently by the United States; while Al-Nusra Front and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.[6][7] In contrast Islamic Front is considered by the United States as a "moderate" fighting force and the Army of Mujahedeen is being vetted by them to receive support.[8][9]

In late October 2014, the al-Nusra Front began attacking cities held by the Free Syrian Army and other moderate Islamist groups, in an attempt to establish its own Islamic state with imposed Sharia rule.[10]

In December 2014, the Levant Front coalition was established, possibly superseding Ahl al-Sham.[11] It includes the Islamic Front and the Army of Mujahideen but excludes al-Nusra and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar. The Aleppo Liberation operations room was established in February 2015; it includes Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar as part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[2]

See also

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
• Army of Conquest

References

1. "SYRIA – Ahl Al-Sham operations room… When the rebels turned the tables of Assad's siege on Aleppo". The Maghreb and Orient Courier. May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
2. "scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10462786_1700392156854090_1914910234494533086_n.png". Syria Rebellion Observatory. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
3. "Aleppo in second week of blackout aimed at limiting barrel bomb". The Daily Star. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
4. "Aleppo: Syria's Stalingrad?". National Interest. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
5. "A new dialogue and collaboration in northern Syria between kurds and rebels". The Arab Chronicle. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
6. "Terrorist Designations of the al-Nusrah Front". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
7. "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". US Department of State. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
8. "After A Long Wait, Syrian Rebels Hope The Weapons Will Now Flow". NPR. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
9. "U.S.-led air strikes pose problem for Assad's moderate foes". Reuters. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
10. Los Angeles Times (28 November 2014). "Islamic State, rival Al Nusra Front each strengthen grip on Syria". latimes.com. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
11. "The Levant Front: Can Aleppo's Rebels Unite?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2015.