Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with the Republican Guard-affiliated Liwa Sayf al-Haq Assad Allah al-Ghalib[1] or the Syrian opposition-affiliated Assad Allah al-Ghalib Gathering.[2]
Conquering Lion of God Forces of Iraq and the Levant
Leaders
  • Secretary-General Sheikh Abdallah al-Shaibani[3]
    (overall leader)
  • Sayyid Abu Ghayth al-Hassani[4][5]
    (leader of Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib)[a]
Dates of operation2013
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars
Succeeded by
Liwa'a Zulfiqar

The Conquering Lion of God Forces of Iraq and the Levant (

Arabic: لواء اسد الله الغالب في العراق والشام, romanized: Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham) or simply LAAG,[c] is a Shia Muslim militant group operating throughout Syria and Iraq. It is named after the title of Imam Ali.[8]

History

Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib was originally set up in late 2013 as part of the Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas network,[7][3][19] ostensibly to work with other Shia militias to protect the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine,[8] and was initially advised by Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq veterans.[7] Although the group has Syrian members[10] and has been considered to be one of the Syrian government's "domestic allies",[18] LAAG primarily recruits Iraqi Shiites since its formation and has built an extensive recruitment network within Iraq.[7][3]

Since mid-August 2013, LAAG began to actively fight for the Syrian government against various

ISIL conquered Mosul, as LAAG set up an Iraq branch,[7]
named "Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib" and led by Sayyid Abu Ghayth al- Hassani.[4][5] Since then, however, strong differences have emerged between LAAG and Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib, with Sheikh Abdallah al-Shaibani claiming that the latter has illegitimately appropriated his group's name and branding, while Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib no longer claims to be part of LAAG.[6] Despite that, LAAG still had an active Iraqi branch by early 2016.[7] Another Iraqi militia partially influenced by LAAG is Jaysh al-Mu'ammal, whose founder Sa'ad Sawar had fought with LAAG in Syria[19] before forming his own militant group in 2016.[11]

In early 2015, LAAG, among other Shia militias, deployed forces to

local government offensive.[16] At the same time, the group also began to provide advisors for the Desert Hawks Brigade,[10] while adopting the latter's uniforms and insignia.[21] Meanwhile, LAAG's Iraqi units had joined forces with Harakat al-Abdal, and developed close links with the Badr Organization and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.[7] LAAG still operated in the Damascus area as of March 2017.[22] Later that month, LAAG was one of the Shia militias mobilized by the IRGC against a major rebel offensive in northern Hama. At Qamhana, Abdallah al-Shaibani's men helped to stop Tahrir al-Sham's attack, and thereafter aided the government counter-offensive.[17]

By mid-2017, LAAG had come to be closely allied with another Shia Islamist militia, Liwa'a Zulfiqar, and even began to operate under the latter's name and logo. Around this time, Abdallah al-Shaibani's men took part in the

al-Tanf).[9]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b The current status of Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib as part of LAAG is unclear; the two groups have apparently distanced themselves from each other, and Sheikh Abdallah al-Shaibani has criticized Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib for using LAAG's name and logos.[6]
  2. ^ Notable Iraqi allies of LAAG include the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq,[7] Badr Organization,[7] Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada,[7] Jaysh al-Mu'ammal,[11] Liwa Dhulfiqar,[3] and Liwa al-Imam al-Hussein.[7]
  3. ^ The militia's name has been alternatively transliterated as Liwa Asad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham,[18] or simply Assad Allah al-Ghalib.[13]

References

  1. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (16 September 2015). "Liwa Sayf al-Haq Assad Allah al-Ghalib: A Republican Guard Militia in Sayyida Zainab". Syria Comment. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  2. ^ Albin Szakola (14 July 2015). "Under-fire FSA rebels tout new south Syria offensive". NOW. Retrieved 17 September 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b c d e f Phillip Smyth (2 October 2015). "Iran-backed Iraqi militias are pouring into Syria". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Phillip Smyth (February 2015). "The Shiite Jihad in Syria and Its Regional Effects: Appendix 3. The LAFA Network of Organizations" (PDF). The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b Phillip Smyth (February 2015). "The Shiite Jihad in Syria and Its Regional Effects: Appendix 2. Understanding the Organizations Deployed to Syria" (PDF). The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Kata'ib Assad Allah al-Ghalib". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Phillip Smyth (8 March 2016). "How Iran Is Building Its Syrian Hezbollah". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. "Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Mostapha Hassan (13 June 2017). "Who leads, operates Iran militias in al-Tanf?". Baghdad Post. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (19 February 2016). "Liwa Usud al-Hussein: A New Pro-Assad Militia in Latakia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Jaysh al-Mu'ammal". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  12. ^ Phillip Smyth (February 2015). "The Shiite Jihad in Syria and Its Regional Effects: Appendix 7. Shiite Militia Geography" (PDF). The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  13. ^ a b c "Regime edges closer to taking key East Ghouta town". Syria Direct. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  14. ^ Tom Cooper (11 November 2016). "Understanding the Syrian Civil War: Overview of pro-Regime Militias in Syria". Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  15. ^ a b Aaron Y. Zelin (30 October 2015). "The Archivist: 'Go Forth, Lightly and Heavily Armed': New Mobilization Calls By the Islamic State in Aleppo Province". Jihadology. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  16. ^ a b Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (3 September 2016). "Quwat Dir' Al-Amn Al-Askari: A Latakia Military Intelligence Militia". Syria Comment. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  17. ^ a b "Der Syrische Bürgerkrieg - Update 19 04 2017". Truppendienst.com (Austrian Armed Forces) (in German). 27 April 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  18. ^ a b Martin (2018), p. 92.
  19. ^ a b AFPC (2017), p. 339.
  20. ^ Phillip Smyth (31 May 2015). "Iraqi Shiite Fighters on the Rise in Syria". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  21. ^ Hanin Ghaddar; Phillip Smyth (29 June 2018). "Accepting Regime Forces in South Syria Will Only Further Iran's Goals". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Imam Hussein Brigade commander killed in Syria". Baghdad Post. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liwa_Assad_Allah_al-Ghalib_fi_al-Iraq_wa_al-Sham&oldid=1214158098"