Descendants of Saladin Brigade
Descendants of Saladin Brigade | |
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لواء أحفاد صلاح الدين Liwa Ahfad Saladin | |
Leaders | |
Dates of operation | 2015–July 2017 (main group)[5] July 2017–present (pro-Turkey faction)[6] |
Headquarters | Azaz and Mare' |
Active regions | Aleppo Governorate |
Ideology | Democracy[7] Kurdish nationalism (faction)[8] |
Size | 600 (2016) |
Part of | Free Syrian Army
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Allies |
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Opponents |
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Battles and wars | Syrian Civil War
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The Descendants of Saladin Brigade (
Ideology
Named after the Kurdish founder of the
In an interview in December 2016, Khallo stated that his group's goal was to achieve
Despite its strong opposition to the PYD, however, the unit was opposed to attacking the PYD-controlled
Organization and support
By 2016, the Descendants of Saladin Brigade claimed to have 600 members, primarily Kurdish, with one third of its fighters being
It is unknown how many fighters of the group have remained active following the disbandment of 2017. Hawash stated in early 2018 that his unit would try to recruit Kurds from the areas captured by pro-Turkish forces in the Afrin area.[3]
Members of the Descendants of Saladin Brigade were described as "gangs" by the pro-SDF newspapers such as Hawar News Agency.[14][15][11] ARA News reported in April 2017 that the group had "minimal support" among Kurds in Syria and only had a "small number of fighters".[10]
History
The group's commander, Mahmoud Khallo, was previously a commander in the
In response to the formation of the Syrian Democratic Forces in October 2015, and its expansion into Afrin Canton in November 2015, Khallo called the SDF "agents of the Syrian regime".[17] Masoud Ibo, spokesman of the group, also called the PYD "an integral part of Bashar al-Assad’s Ba'athist regime".[2]
Following the northern Aleppo offensive in February 2016, which involved the SDF, the Descendants of Saladin Brigade called the SDF a "Satanic alliance" and vowed to fight it "until the last drop of blood".[18]
Since February 2016, the group suffered a series of internal splits. On 27 February, a number of its fighters defected from the group, accusing it of corruption, "betraying the blood of martyrs", "serving personal interests", "unmatched selfishness", and "forgetting the goals of the real revolution". They also accused leaders of the group of being affiliated with Kurdish parties "unpatriotic toward the Syrian Revolution", marginalizing "free Kurdish fighters" and replacing them with "paid mercenaries", and "political coordination" with the SDF's Army of Revolutionaries.[19] In March, Mohammed Hawash, the group's military commander, defected after he accused the group of collaborating with the Kurdish National Council. Hawash called the 99th Division, which the Descendants of Saladin Brigade joined, a "dirty formation".[4]
In March 2016
The Descendants of Saladin Brigade participated in the offensive to capture the city of al-Bab and the town of Qabasin as part of Operation Euphrates Shield in late 2016 and early 2017. As part of its participation, the group requested Turkey to allow the flag of Kurdistan to be raised in Qabasin.[21] On 3 April 2017, Ahrar al-Sham reportedly attacked the group in Qabasin and captured more than 8 of their fighters, including a commander. Hours later, the prisoners were released after negotiations, although tensions between the two groups remain.[10]
On 15 May 2017, the commander of the group, Mahmoud Khallo, was arrested by Turkey. This "soured" the group's relations with Turkey.[5]
On 3 July 2017, Mahmoud Khallo declared that his unit would not participate in a planned Turkish-led offensive against the SDF in the
A remnant of the militia continued to be active and cooperate with Turkey, however, though now known simply as "Saladin Brigade" and led by Mohammed Hawash.
See also
- List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
- Saladin Ayubi Brigade
- Azadî Battalion
References
- ^ a b c "Kurd turns on Kurd as Turkey backs new faction in Syria". Middle East Eye. 16 March 2016.
- ^ a b "ROUNDTABLE: Is the PYD the legitimate representative of Syrian Kurds?". Syria Direct. 28 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Khaled al-Khateb (16 February 2018). "Kurdish fighters join Turkey's Afrin operation". al-Monitor. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Splits within the brigade of descendants of Salahuddin, and its military commander accused of a member of the coalition conspiring". Kobanî Kurd. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lars Hauch (5 July 2017). "Syria war: Turkey 'disbands rebel battalion' as alliances collapse". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ammar Hammou; Maria Nelson (5 February 2018). "Revolutionaries, pawns, liberators, or mercenaries? Meet the Kurdish fighters participating in Turkey's Afrin offensive". Syria Direct.
- ^ a b c d "Commander of Kurdish FSA brigade: 'Federalism is not an effective system for Syria'". Syria:direct. 11 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ a b Ömer Özkizilcik (2 December 2016). "Kurdish FSA commander in Syria: "The USA are responsible for the fail of the revolution"". Eurasia News.
- ^ a b c d e Mohammad Abdulssattar Ibrahim; Maria Nelso (23 August 2017). "'Afrin is a red line': Kurdish FSA commander loses his faction after refusing to fight". Syria:direct. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Wladimir van Wilgenburg (5 April 2017). "Tensions increase between Turkey-backed rebels in Northern Aleppo". ARA News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017.
- ^ a b "Erdoğan's Kurdish gangs". ANF News. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Revolutionary Kurdish "Mohammed al-Hawash" revolutionary figure under the microscope". Syrian Democratic Left Party. 7 July 2017.
- ^ "Ibrahim Pro commented on the lack of participation of the Democratic Union in Geneva 8 and divergent views on how well Manqel was on the means of communication". Kurd Street. 28 November 2017.
- ^ "BARZAN'İ DESTEKLİ ENKS ÇETELERİ 10'DAN FAZLA KÜRDÜ KATLETTİ". AmedToday Haber. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ "SUK ve ENKS çeteleri YPG mevzisine saldırdı" (in Turkish). Hawar News Agency. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ "A field report on the situation of the Komala forces in the field issued by Capt". Kurd Street. 12 January 2014.
- ^ "Aleppo - commander of the brigade of the descendants of Salah al-Din: Syrian Democratic Forces agents of the Syrian regime". Kurd Street. 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Kurdish Free Syrian Army faction condemns YPG attacks". El-Dorar al-Shamia. 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Internal split in the "descendants of Saladin" .. and accusations of treason and corruption". Zaiton Mag. 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Syrian rebels ban Kurdish flag in Aleppo". ARA News. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Commander of the descendants of Saladin: the Kurdish flag is raised in Turkey and Qabasin approval". Al-Etihad Press. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (4 July 2017). "Turkey-backed rebel group refuses to attack Kurdish town north Syria". ARA News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017.