Liwa al-Haqq (Idlib)

Liwa al-Haqq (Arabic: لواء الحق بريف إدلب‎, Right Brigade or Truth Brigade) is a Syrian Islamist rebel group that was active during the Syrian Civil War until joining Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in 2017.[2]

This article is about the Liwa al-Haqq group in Idlib. For the Homsi Liwa al-Haqq, see Liwa al-Haqq (Homs, Syria).
Liwa al-Haqq (Idlib)
لواء الحق بريف إدلب
Active regionsHama Governorate, Syria[1]
Idlib Governorate, Syria[2]
IdeologySunni Islamism
Salafism[1]
Part of Syrian Islamic Liberation Front
Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance[2]
Army of Conquest[3]
Fatah Halab[4]
Allies Islamic State of Iraq (2013)
Liwaa al-Umma
Jund al-Aqsa[2]
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
Opponents Syria
 Iran
 Russia
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War
Designated as a terrorist group by Malaysia[6]

History

On 31 October 2014, amid fighting between al-Nusra and the western-backed Hazzm Movement and Syrian Revolutionaries Front, Liwa al-Haqq along with 13 other rebel groups in Idlib established a peace keeping force to mediate the conflict between al-Nusra and the western backed groups, among the peace keeping factions included Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Suqour al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.[7]

In May 2015, Liwa al-Haqq was part of a joint rebel offensive alongside the al-Nusra Front, Ajnad al-Kavkaz, Jund al-Aqsa, and Faylaq al-Sham against the Syrian government in northwestern Syria, that eventually led to the rebel takeover of much of the Idlib Governorate, including the governorate's capital Idlib.[8]

In September 2015, In response to reports of Russian intervention, Liwa al-Haqq commander Abu Abdullah Taftanaz posted a tweet addressing "infidel Russians", and threatening to "slaughter you like pigs."[9]

In October 2015, a Russian air raid targeted a Liwa al-Haqq base in the Raqqa Governorate using KAB-500KR precision-guided bombs, reportedly killing two senior ISIL commanders and up to 200 militants.[10]

In November 2015, Liwa al-Haqq and al-Nusra both released photos of an American made Humvee captured from an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militia in southern Aleppo, that was believed to be Kataib Hezbollah.[11][12]

In early May 2016, Liwa al-Haqq took part in a campaign part of the Army of Conquest coalition in southern Aleppo, during the offensive al-Nusra deployed SVBIEDs targeting Shiite militia fighters in the area, and Jund al-Aqsa carried out separate attacks in coordination with al-Nusra and the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria during the offensive.[13]

On 28 January 2017, Liwa al-Haqq, alongside the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Jaysh al-Sunna and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was formerly al-Nusra until disengaging from al-Qaeda and rebranding in 2016, together merged to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.[14]

In June 2018, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham arrested several members of ISIL-linked cells in eastern Idlib, including cells affiliated Liwa Dawud which pleged allegiance to ISIL in 2014 and members of Liwa al-Haqq.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Guide to the Syrian rebels". BBC. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  2. "The Other Syrian Peace Process". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  3. "Rebels launch full-on assault of Idlib city". Syria Direct. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2015-06-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Islamic State closes in on Syrian city of Aleppo; U.S. abandons rebel training effort". Reuters. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  6. http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20141107114308/http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/al-qaida-jabhat-al-nusra-allied-militias-advance-idlib-whipping-us-vetted-militias/
  8. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysis-nusra-front-cements-its-place-syria
  9. Sami Moubayed (30 September 2015). "Russia's moves in Syria are 'unprecedented'". Gulf News. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  10. "Russian air force hits 60 Islamic State targets in Syria, kills 300 jihadists". The Times of India. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015.
  11. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/11/al-nusrah-front-shows-captured-humvees-in-aleppo.php
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20200501194929/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CT98ntjWsAAeSIJ?format=png&name=medium
  13. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/05/jaysh-al-fath-coalition-launches-new-offensive-in-aleppo-province.php
  14. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/al-qaedas-latest-rebranding-hayat-tahrir-al-sham
  15. https://nedaa-sy.com/en/news/6958
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