Al-Mu'tasim Brigade

The Mu'tasim Division ( ar, فرقة المُعتصم, Firqat al-Mu'tasim), formerly the Mutasim Brigade ( ar, لواء المعتصم, Liwa al-Mu'tasim), is a Free Syrian Army faction active in the northern Aleppo Governorate, based in the town of Mare'. The group was named after al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842), an Abbasid caliph.

Equipment

The Mu'tasim Division is known for possessing a large amount of US-supplied weapons from the Syrian Train and Equip Program, including M16 rifles, M249 light machine guns, M240 machine guns, Soltam K6, M224 mortars, M252 mortars, M2 Browning, and technicals. This led to reports being made that this group is supplied by the United States. The group did not receive anti-tank missiles from the US.

Ideology

The Mu'tasim Division supports the political Syrian peace process. However, it opposes the U.S.–Russia peace proposals on Syria. The commander of the group has called for " freedom and justice", which led to tensions between him and the al-Nusra Front, seeing him as a threat to al-Nusra's project. The Mu'tasim Division has criticised al-Nusra for “attacking rebel factions, stealing weapons of the Mujahideen, cutting roads, seizing headquarters, refusing to respect Shariah practices, and tarnishing the reputation of the sons and leaders of the revolution.”

History

The group's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Khalil, was originally a rebel commander in Jabal al-Akrad, Latakia Governorate. However, in 2015 he was forced out of Latakia by the al-Nusra Front after tensions between the two groups. His group then moved to Aleppo.

In April 2016 the group participated in the Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016), along with the Sham Legion and the Sultan Murad Division, driving vehicles from Doudiyan toward ISIL positions in al-Rai and capturing 8 villages in the way.

In June the group formed an alliance with the Descendants of Saladin Brigade and 6 other rebel groups in Mare' after breaking an ISIL siege on the town. The new coalition claims to have 1,500 fighters under a unified military command and established contact with the rival Syrian Democratic Forces. Later that month, Muhammad Hassan Khalil was kidnapped in Mare'. The Mu'tasim Brigade accused Major General Dara Aza, former commander of rebels in Mare', and al-Nusra Front of carrying out the abduction.

In August and September the Mu'tasim Brigade participated in Operation Euphrates Shield which captured Jarabulus and al-Rai.

On 12 April 2017, 100 new fighters of the Mu'tasim Brigade graduated after they completed training in a camp near Mare', bringing the total number of members in the group to 1,000, according to one of its commanders.

On 29 June 2017, Awad Abu Saqr, a military commander in the Mu'tasim Brigade, defected to the Syrian Democratic Forces.

On 25 April 2018, the Mu'tasim Brigade withdraw its recognition of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces due to the National Coalition's inability to make national decisions. The group's decision came hours after George Sabra, Suheir Atassi, and Khaled Khoja resigned from the National Coalition.

On 12 May 2018, commanders of Jaysh al-Islam and al-Rahman Legion, who frequently fought until they were defeated in eastern Ghouta and transferred to northern Aleppo, met in the Mu'tasim Brigade's headquarters and pledged not to continue fighting each other. Syrian Interim Government head Jawad Abu Hatab also attended the meeting.

References

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Anti-government factions of the Syrian civil war
Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
Military units and factions of the Syrian civil war
Military units and formations established in 2015
Free Syrian Army
Syrian National Army
Turkish supported militant groups of the Syrian civil war