Conquest Brigade

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Al-Fatah Brigade" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Al-Fateh Brigade that was active in Yemen during Operation Victory from God.
Not to be confused with the militia of the same name that was active in southern Syria during the Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat.[1]
Conquest Brigade
Arabic: لواء الفتح, romanized: Liwa al-Fath
Leaders1st Lt. Rifaat Khalil (DOW) 9 August 2012[2][3]("Abu al-Nasr")

Maj. Anas Ibrahim[4] ("Abu Zeid", 2012–13)
Col. Haytham Darwish[5] †[6] (2012–13)
Muhammad Hijazi †[7] ("Abu al-Farouq", 2012–13)
Capt. Ismail Nadef[8][9] ("Abu Mahmoud", c. 2012–16)

Abu Yahya Qalandar[10] (by 2018)
Dates of operation2012 – present
HeadquartersTell Rifaat[11][12] (2012–16)
Active regionsNorthern Syria
IdeologySunni Islamism Syrian nationalism[9]
Part ofSyrian opposition Free Syrian Army
  • TFSA
    's 3rd Legion
Syrian Civil War

The Conquest Brigade (

Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) in 2016, also engaging in fighting with the Syrian Democratic Forces
.

History

Early civil war

Further information:
2012–13 escalation of the Syrian Civil War
First Lieutenant Rifaat Khalil (right) announce the formation of the Conquest Brigade in Tell Rifaat, north of Aleppo
, 31 July 2012.

The Conquest Brigade was founded at Tell Rifaat in late July 2012[2][13][26] as unification of three rebel groups that had previously operated in the countryside of northern Aleppo Governorate. Its initial member groups included 1st Lt. Rifaat Khalil's relatively powerful Muthanna ibn Haritha Battalion,[2] the Ghuraba al-Sham (Strangers of the Levant) Battalion, and the Dir al-Wafa (Shield of Loyalty) Battalion.[27] From its beginning, the Conquest Brigade declared its membership in the Free Syrian Army[28] and Aleppo Military Council,[2] and also joined the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front in September 2012.[14]

The group was initially only active in the rural northern Aleppo Governorate,

capture of Tell Abyad and its border crossing with Akçakale in September 2012.[8] By the end of August 2012, a Conquest Brigade commander, Major Anas Ibrahim ("Abu Zeid"), claimed to have 1,300 fighters on 6 fronts in Aleppo city, who contributed to the rebel capture of more than half of the city, and 500 more around the governorate.[4]

By late 2012 and early 2013, the Conquest Brigade was already close to various radical rebel factions,

JAMWA sub-unit during the Siege of Menagh Air Base in rural Aleppo.[33][19] In contrast to its good relations with various Islamist factions, the Conquest Brigade's relationship with the Syrian opposition's leadership, including the civilian SNC and the FSA's chief commanders, was more ambivalent.[34] The group reportedly did not "listen to the orders of the regional leaders of the FSA", though was ready to meet with SNC senior member Samir Nashar in September 2012 to discuss a stronger cooperation with other rebel factions, such as the al-Nusra Front and the al-Tawhid Brigade.[35] The Conquest Brigade also did not support a public statement by 14 Aleppo rebel groups in November that denounced the SNC. When rebel groups in Aleppo released another, more moderate video statement that month, however, the Conquest Brigade officially supported it.[34] A commander in the group, Captain Ismail Nadef ("Abu Mahmoud"), also said in October 2012 that several of the Conquest Brigade's subgroups included Kurds in their ranks, and the group itself had established contacts with the leftist Democratic Union Party (PYD); it nonetheless disagreed with the PYD due to its ideology and affiliation with the PKK.[8]

The militia's Ghuraba al-Sham Battalion reportedly took part in the

Menagh Air Base, and produced "slick"[36] propaganda videos about the base's fall.[33][19]

Conflict with ISIL and the SDF

A T-62 tank jointly operated by the Conquest Brigade and the al-Tawhid Brigade in September 2013

At the beginning of September 2013, a joint operations room was formed by the Conquest Brigade, al-Tawhid Brigade, Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra Front, the

People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Kurdish villages north of Aleppo.[37]

Though it had enjoyed cordial relations with ISIL during the early civil war,

Kurdish Front Brigade and Descendants of Messengers Brigade to recapture some areas near Menagh.[22] The group became part of the Fatah Halab joint operations room sometime before October 2015,[15] and joined the Ahrar al-Sham movement in November 2015.[20][16][41]

In February 2016, the Conquest Brigade was expelled from some of its territory in the northern Aleppo countryside, including its main bases in Tell Rifaat and Menagh Air Base, by the

ceasefire between government and opposition groups in September 2016, arguing that the agreement aided the government and also denouncing the exclusion of the al-Nusra Front (by then "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham") from the ceasefire.[45]

By August 2016, the Conquest Brigade had become part of the

counter-insurgency operations in the Afrin area, and was reportedly targeted by YPG/YPJ guerrilla attacks.[49]

Ideology

Further information: Islamism, Salafi movement, and Syrian nationalism
Video of the militia's official foundation

The Conquest Brigade's stated aim has been to overthrow the

ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by this point, though distanced itself from Salafi jihadism after its violent split with ISIL.[13] Despite this, the group continued to be sympathetic toward radical Islamist groups, even joining the hardline Salafist Ahrar al-Sham movement for four months in 2015/16.[16] Nonetheless, a regional expert claimed in February 2016 that the Conquest Brigade was neither Jihadist nor Salafist, and just a "nationalist group unconnected to Nusra", though also described Ahrar al-Sham (of which the militia was a part at the time) as "close battlefield ally of Nusra's".[9]

The militia claims to respect human rights and protect civilians,[50] but is known for violently suppressing opposing political activists.[51][52]

The Conquest Brigade's views on an international intervention against the Syrian government changed over time. A commander of the Conquest Brigade stated in 2013 that his unit was not in favour of

American-led invasion, though also said that the United States would find a "very powerful ally on the ground" in form of the militia in case they should enter the Syrian Civil War.[39] By late 2016, however, the unit was considered loyal to the Turkish government and fully supported the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.[12]

Organization

Constituent militias

Fighters of the Ömer Seyfettin Company, one of the sub-groups of the Conquest Brigade

The Conquest Brigade is an umbrella formation for various sub-units of varying strength. By August 2012, the militia claimed to consist of 27 battalions.[53] Of these, the following are known:

Military strength

Further information: Timber Sycamore
The Conquest Brigade in combat in al-Midan neighborhood of Aleppo, September 2012

Though eclipsed in its prominence and military prowess by several other rebel groups,[2] the Conquest Brigade was a relatively powerful and influential fighting force during the early civil war.[53][41] It claimed to have about 2,500 fighters in August 2012,[53] of which 1,800 were active in Aleppo Governorate.[4] The group was one of the largest armed opposition militias in Aleppo city at the time.[4][20] At least one of its sub-groups, the Muthanna ibn Haritha Battalion, possessed tanks, technicals, and PK machine guns in 2012,[2] while the militia as whole had anti-tank warfare capabilities and produced its own homemade rockets and improvised explosive devices.[53] By December 2015, the Conquest Brigade had just 600 fighters left.[20] It had increased in strength by late 2018, with about 500 fighters stationed in the Afrin area,[48] while 300 were posted in the northern Aleppo area.[56]

The militia received foreign aid in form of weapons and other military equipment, most prominently by Turkey and Saudi Arabia.[17] By 2012/13, the group also had links to the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Syrian businessman Firas Tlass organized a meeting of the group's representatives with CIA agents in Gaziantep in August 2012, with the latter promising the former telecommunications equipment, and possibly weapons in case that the Conquest Brigade proved itself to be reliable.[5] By 2018, the Afrin-based Conquest Brigade troops were supplied by Turkey,[48] though those in the northern Aleppo countryside were not.[56]

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conquest Brigade.
  1. ^ Alternatively transliterated as Liwa al-Fateh,[15] Liwa al-Fatah[25] or Liwa al-Fatih[21]
  2. ^ Despite this, the Omran Center for Strategic Studies stated in late 2018 that a group known as Conquest Brigade ("Liwa al-Fateh") was still part of Ahrar al-Sham.[43]

References

  1. ^ Robert Fisk (26 October 2016). "The Syrian town shattered by war that may finally have seen an end to the fighting". The Independent. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Bolling (2012), p. 4.
  3. ^ a b Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi (31 August 2021). "سيرة بطل من بلدي: رفعت خليل أبو النصر بل أبو النصريْن [Biography of a hero from my country: Rifaat Khalil Abu Al-Nasr, but Abu Al-Nasreen]". Syria TV.
  4. ^ a b c d ""Free" commander: We control 60% of Aleppo". Sky News Arabia. 31 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Mike Giglio (12 February 2013). "Did the CIA Betray Syria's Rebels?". Newsweek. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Haithem Darwesh". Violations Documentation Center in Syria.
  7. ^ a b "Al-Fath Brigade mourns the martyrdom of the commander of the Bara ibn Malik Battalion in Aleppo". El-Dorar al-Shamia. 10 July 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "A leader in the Free Army Conquest Brigade: There are contacts and meetings between us and PYD but?". Afrin News Agency. 15 October 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d "America picked the wrong allies against the Islamic State". NOW News. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017.
  10. ^ "PKK uses Shia majority towns in Syria to attack Turkish army in Afrin". Yeni Şafak. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  11. ^ Hadeel Al Shalchi (9 August 2018). "Syrian fighter jet strafes farming village". Reuters. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e Christoph Ehrhardt (13 September 2016). "Krieg in Syrien. Die Trennlinien verschwimmen" [War in Syria. The dividing lines become blurred]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guidère (2017), p. 284.
  14. ^ a b "Guide to the Syrian rebels". BBC. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Cafarella & Casagrande (2015), p. 12.
  16. ^ a b c d e f ""لواء الفتح" يعلن انضمامه لـ"الجبهة الشامية" في حلب" [The "Fatah Brigade" announces that it joins the Levant Front in Aleppo]. SMART News Agency. 8 March 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  17. ^ a b c d Jesse Rosenfeld (25 February 2016). "What Do Syrian Rebels Think of the Cease-Fire?". The Nation. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Syrian Soldiers 'Fled Like Rats': Rebels". TOLO News. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  19. ^ a b c Jones (2017), p. 58.
  20. ^ a b c d e "انضمـام ثاني أكبر تشكيل عسكري في حلب إلى حركـة أحرار الشام" [The second largest military formation in Aleppo joins the Ahrar Sham movement]. Baladi News. 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  21. ^ a b c UNHRC (2013), p. 22.
  22. ^ a b "ISIS Islamic-jihadists leave behind destruction in Syrian Kurdistan". Ekurd Daily. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Mare' is isolated in northern Aleppo and the residents flee to Afrin". Enab Baladi. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Syria: Afrin Residents Blocked from Fleeing, Aid". Human Rights Watch. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  25. ^ Al-Tamimi (2013), p. 24.
  26. ^ a b c d "Liwa al-Fath". Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  27. ^ a b c Bolling (2012), p. 5.
  28. ^ a b Khaled Yacoub Oweis (19 September 2013). "Qaeda affiliate overruns Syrian town near Turkish border: activists". Reuters. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  29. ^ Bolling (2012), pp. 8, 9.
  30. ^ Mike Giglio (10 May 2012). "Syrian Rebels Deny Civilian Deaths in Aleppo Attack, Fearful of Losing Public Support". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  31. ^ a b Lister (2015), pp. 102, 103.
  32. ^ a b "Bashar bashed". The Economist. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  33. ^ a b c d Al-Tamimi (2013), pp. 24, 25.
  34. ^ a b c Aron Lund (4 December 2012). "Aleppo and the Battle for the Syrian Revolution's Soul". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  35. ^ Mike Giglio (1 September 2012). "Syrian rebels: Too fragmented, unruly". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  36. ^ Kylie Morris (23 October 2013). "Online is the new frontline for Syrian fighters". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  37. ^ "لقاء خاص مع ممثل لواء التوحيد في – غرفة عمليات الشمال – المجاهد مضر نجار [A special meeting with the representative of the Al-Tawhid Brigade in the North Operations Room - Mujahid Mudar Najjar]". Shahba Press Agency. 3 September 2013.
  38. ^ Jamie Dettmer (16 September 2013). "Rebels Furious Over Diplomatic Deal on Syria". Voice of America. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  39. ^ a b Antonio Pampliega (15 September 2013). "Syrian Rebels Express Disdain For Obama And Other World Leaders". HuffPost (Agence France-Presse). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  40. ^ Lister (2015), p. 203.
  41. ^ a b Cafarella & Casagrande (2016), p. 13.
  42. ^ "حلب وريفها ... لواء الفتح ينشق عن حركة أحرار الشام" [Aleppo and its countryside ... The Fatah Brigade split from the movement of Ahrar Sham]. almjhar.com. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  43. ^ Şaban et al. (2018), p. 62.
  44. ^ Waleed Khaled a-Noufal; Justin Schuster (9 June 2016). "'Not just talk': New north Aleppo rebel alliance breaks Islamic State blockade". SYRIA:direct. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  45. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
    . 13 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  46. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (21 November 2019). "The Structure of the Syrian National Army". Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  47. ^ "Syrian Rebel Brigades Participating in the Operation Olive Branch [18 January 2018]". Suriye Gündemi. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018.
  48. ^ a b c Şaban et al. (2018), p. 50.
  49. ^ "YPG/YPJ fighters deal heavy blows to invaders in Afrin". ANF News. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  50. ^ a b "Syrian rebels on IHL: In their own words". IRIN. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  51. ^ Ivan Watson (15 March 2013). "Two years later, Syrian revolutionaries reflect on their cause, the costs". CNN. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  52. ^ Ivan Watson (9 May 2018). "Continuation of kidnapping, torture, murder in Afrin". Hawar News Agency. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  53. ^ a b c d e f "انضمـام ثاني أكبر تشكيل عسكري في حلب إلى حركـة أحرار الشام" [Al Jazeera accompanied by revolutionaries in Aleppo]. Al Jazeera. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  54. ^ "لواء الفتح - كتيبة شهداء ارفاد : معركة القبتين : التصدي للرتل برشاش الدوشكا" [Al - Fatah Brigade - Arvad Martyrs' Battalion: Battle of Al Qubtin: The Battle of Al - Dushka]. Eldorar Al Shamia. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  55. ^ "سرية عمر سيف الدين التابعة للواء الفتح تلتحق بحلب 8\8\2012" [The Ömer Seyfettin Company of the Fatah Brigade will join Aleppo 8/8/2012]. Tell Rifaat Information Office. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  56. ^ a b Şaban et al. (2018), p. 51.

Works cited

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