Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn
, native_name_lang = ar
, war = the
Syrian Civil War and the
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present) Iraqi insurgency may refer to:
* Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), part of the Iraq War
** Iraqi insurgency (2003–2006), 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency
** Iraqi civil war (2006–2008), multi-sided civil war in Iraq
* Iraqi insurgency (20 ...
, image =
, caption =
, active = 27 February 2018–present
, ideology =
Jihadism
, position =
, leaders =
*
Khalid al-Aruri
Khalid Mustafa Khalifa al-Aruri ( ar, خالد مصطفى خليفة العاروري), known as Abu al-Qassam, was a Palestinians in Jordan, Palestinian-Jordanian Islamic militant and a member of al-Qaeda who was the leader of the Guardians of ...
*
Abu Humam al-Shami
Samir Hijazi, known as Abu Humam al-Shami or Faruq al-Suri, is a Syrian militant and soldier who was the military chief of al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front. He became the head of the Guardians of Religion Organization in February 2018, ...
, clans = *Jaysh al-Malahim
*Jaysh al-Badia
*Jaysh al-Sahel
*Saraya al-Sahel
*Saraya al-Kabul
*Jund al-Sharia
*Jama'at Ansar al-Haq
*Abna al-Sharia
*
Abdullah Azzam Group
, headquarters =
, area =
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
*
Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
*
Hama Governorate
Hama Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حماة / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates ...
[
*]Latakia Governorate
Latakia Governorate, also transliterated as Ladhakia Governorate, ( ar, مُحافظة اللاذقية / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay ...
*Daraa Governorate
Daraa Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة درعا / ALA-LC: ') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the south-west of the country and covers an area of 3,730 km2. It is bordered by Jordan to the south, Qune ...
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, size = 1,000–2,000
, partof =
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
Alliance to Support Islam
Rouse the Believers Operations Room
, native_name_lang = ar
, war = Syrian Civil War
, image =
Logo of the alliance
Flag used by Rouse the Believers
, caption =
, active = October 2018 – 12 June 2020
, ideology = Salafi j ...
, predecessor =
, successor =
, allies = Turkistan Islamic Party
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) or the Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), formerly known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other names, is a Uyghur Islamic extremist organization founded in Western China. Its stated goals ar ...
Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
Ansar al-Tawhid
Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Din Front
Jabhat Ansar al-Din ( ar, جبهة أنصار الدين, ''The Supporters of the Religion Front'') is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Isla ...
Firqat al-Ghuraba
Firqat al-Ghuraba is an active jihadist group aligned with al-Qaeda based in opposition held areas in the Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. The group mostly consists of foreign fighters from Europe with many, including the group's leader, ...
Jaysh al-Izza
The Army of Glory ( ar, جيش العزة, Jaysh al-Izza), formerly the Union of Glory ( ar, تجمع العزة, Tajamu‘ al-‘Izza, links=no), is a Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army active in northwestern Syria, mainly i ...
Naqshbandi Army
The Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order ( ar, جيش رجال الطريقة النقشبندية ''Jaysh Rijāl aṭ-Ṭarīqa an-Naqshabandiya''), also called the Naqshbandi Army, is one of a number of underground Ba'ath Party, Ba'athist a ...
, split_from = Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
, opponents = Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
, battles = Syrian Civil War
*2018 Idlib demilitarization
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short s ...
*Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019)
The 2019 northwestern Syria offensive, codenamed "Dawn of Idlib" (), was a military operation launched on 30 April 2019 by the Syrian Armed Forces and its allies against rebel groups in northwestern Syria during the Syrian civil war in a regio ...
* American-led intervention
* Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
*Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020)
The Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020) were a series of armed confrontations between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Be Steadfast Operations room, led by the Guardians of Religion Organization. The conflict began after HTS arrested the ...
, website =
The Guardians of Religion Organization ( ar, تنظيم حراس الدين ''Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn'') is an armed insurgent group affiliated with Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and fighting in the Syrian Civil War. The head of the group, Abu Humam al-Shami
Samir Hijazi, known as Abu Humam al-Shami or Faruq al-Suri, is a Syrian militant and soldier who was the military chief of al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front. He became the head of the Guardians of Religion Organization in February 2018, ...
, was formerly a member of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and previously the al-Nusra Front
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, al-Qaeda's branch in Syria between 2013 and 2016.[ Abu Jilibib Tubasi and Abu Khadija al-Urduni, members of the Guardians of Religion's ]shura council
In Arab culture, a Majlis-ash-Shura ( ar, مجلس الشورى; Shura Council in English) is an advisory council or consultative council. In Islamic context, the Majlis-ash-Shura is one of two ways that a Caliph, khalifa (Islamic leader) may be s ...
, left Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in 2016 due to its reported disassociation from al-Qaeda. Tubasi, al-Shami, and Sami al-Oraydi were arrested by HTS in November 2017, in an attempt to stave off the formation of another al-Qaeda affiliated group in Syria. Also, in November 2017, Jaysh al-Badia and Jaysh al-Malahim were formed.[ The group also rejects infighting against other groups, but has had some tensions with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on a few occasions, most recently from 17 June to 26 June 2020.]
History
In February 2018, the group stated that it is opposed to the fighting
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
between the Syrian Liberation Front
Jabhat Tahrir Suriya
, native_name_lang =
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = File:Logo of the Syrian Liberation Front.png
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Liberation Front
, active = 18 Febru ...
and Tahrir al-Sham. However Jaysh al-Sahel, which is part of the Guardians of Religion Organization said that it will fight the SLF if the towns of Muhambal
Muhambal ( ar, محمبل, also spelled ''Mhambal'' or ''Mahambel'') is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Ariha District of the Idlib Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Muhambal had a popula ...
, Bisanqul, and Kafr Shalaya are attacked.
On 26 April 2018, the Guardians of Religion Organization, along with Ansar al-Tawhid, and Jaysh al-Izza
The Army of Glory ( ar, جيش العزة, Jaysh al-Izza), formerly the Union of Glory ( ar, تجمع العزة, Tajamu‘ al-‘Izza, links=no), is a Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army active in northwestern Syria, mainly i ...
, launched a joint attack against Syrian Government forces in the northern countryside of the Hama Governorate
Hama Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حماة / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates ...
.[
On 12 October 2018, the Russian government's reconciliation center in Syria accused the group of hoarding materials needed to develop chemical weapons for a false flag attack as well as being an ISIL affiliate. Along with Russian officials accusing the group of being an ISIL affiliate Iraqi media has claimed the group is also an ISIL affiliate operating along the Syrian-Iraqi border, however the group's base of operations is in the Idlib governorate of Syria, the group has not claimed any attacks outside the region nor have any other reports of activity outside of Syria been reported.]
On 15 October 2018, the group published a video filmed in Saraqib which showed the group's religious police, the hisbah
''Hisbah'' ( ar, حسبة, ḥisba, "accountability")Sami Zubaida (2005), Law and Power in the Islamic World, , pages 58-60 is an Islamic doctrine referring to upholding "community morals", based on the Quranic injunction to " enjoin good and for ...
, driving around the city with loudspeakers calling on people to adhere to sharia.[
On 29 December 2018, one of the group's founders, named Abu Julaybib, was killed by government forces in the ]Daraa Governorate
Daraa Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة درعا / ALA-LC: ') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the south-west of the country and covers an area of 3,730 km2. It is bordered by Jordan to the south, Qune ...
while preparing to establish an insurgent cell linked to the group in southern Syria.[
On 30 June 2019, in a rare operation against non-ISIL elements, the U.S. carried out a strike against an al-Qaeda in Syria (AQ-S) leadership meeting at a training facility west of ]Aleppo
)), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black".
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
...
,[ which killed eight jihadists from the Guardians of Religion Organization, including six commanders: two Tunisians, two Algerians, an Egyptian and a Syrian.][ It was the first known U.S. strike in western Syria since February 2017 due to the U.S. and Russia arranging an unofficial deconfliction boundary that largely bars any substantial U.S. forces from venturing into the region. The U.S. did not specify what assets were used in the strike.
On 31 August 2019, the U.S. carried out a series of airstrikes on a ]Rouse the Believers Operations Room
, native_name_lang = ar
, war = Syrian Civil War
, image =
Logo of the alliance
Flag used by Rouse the Believers
, caption =
, active = October 2018 – 12 June 2020
, ideology = Salafi j ...
meeting between Kafriya
Kafriya ( ar, كفريا, also spelled Kifarya or Kefraya) is a village in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located northwest of Idlib. Nearby localities include Maarrat Misrin to the north, Zardana to the northeast, ...
and Maarrat Misrin, killing over 40 Guardians of Religion militants, including several leaders.
On 27 October 2019, members of the group were killed during a US raid targeting ISIL's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Barisha. A commander of the group named Abu Muhammad al-Halabi, the owner of the house Baghdadi was staying at, was killed during the raid. An Iraqi intelligence official and Hisham al-Hashimi
Hisham al-Hashimi ( ar, هشام الهاشمي; 9 May 1973 – 6 July 2020) was an Iraqi historian and researcher in security and strategic affairs and extremist groups, and a specialist on the subject of the Islamic state and its supporters. He ...
have stated to ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' that Halabi was also a smuggler, which is why the ISIL head and his family utilized his services.
On 10 March 2020, The Guardians of Religion Organization raided the town of Tanjarah, which was under control of the Syrian Army, and captured the town. Heavy fighting took place following a counterattack by the Syrian army to retake the town. 35 soldiers of the Syrian Army and 13 HaD fighters were killed in the fighting.
After a fallout within the Rouse the Believers Operation Room, the group joined four other jihadist groups on 12 June 2020 to form the "Be Steadfast Operation Room."
On 23 June, after putting up checkpoints around Idlib and refusing to take them down at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham requests an open conflict
Conflict may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton
* ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne
* ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
began between the two groups. The conflict killed 18 member of Hurras al-Din, 11 members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and one civilian.
On 1 January 2021, the group attacked a Russian military base in the northern part of the Raqqa Governorate, in an area held by the Syrian Democratic Forces
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svgborder
, caption = Flag
, active = 10 October 2015 – present
, ideology = DemocracyDecentralizationSecularism ...
. The attack was notable for being carried outside of the group's main areas of operation in the Idlib Governorate. During the attack, five members of the group were killed carrying out suicide bombings and injuring between two to three Russian soldiers at the base.
Relations with other groups
The Guardians of Religion Organization is part of the Stand Firm Operations Room, formerly the Rouse the Believers or Incite the Believers Operations Room. The Stand Firm Operations Room is the reconsolidation of the Incite the Believers Operations Room following Ansar al Tawhid's defection from it 3 May 2020. The Incite the Believers Operations Room was led by the Guardians of Religion Organization alongside three other Jihadist factions based in northwestern Syria, and alongside Ansar al-Tawhid, which was also part of the Rouse the Believers Operations Room and largely consists of former Jund al-Aqsa elements, established the Alliance to Support Islam in early 2018.
al-Qaeda
The group broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (, transliteration: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"), commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the ...
in 2018 a year after the formation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham due to internal tensions in the organization over issues including its allegiance to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and its leaders, furthermore the Khorasan Group that was believed by several intelligence agencies and analysts to be part of al-Nusra
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
which later became HTS, is thought to have evolved into becoming part of the Guardians of Religion Organization. Al-Qaeda also reportedly sent senior cadres from its central command nodes in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
to support the foundation of the Guardians of Religion Organization.
ISIL
The group has instructed its members not to associate with ISIL with threat of expulsion from the group and prosecution, while ISIL declared the group to be heretical in its weekly newspaper ''al-Naba''.
However, there are believed to be ISIL-sympathizers in the Guardians of Religion Organization, and prior to the group's foundation as it began as a sub faction of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in 2017 the year of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's inception, ISIL reportedly began building ties with these elements prior to the group's formal foundation.
ISIL also began building a contingency plan upon their decline that involved regrouping in opposition held parts of Idlib
ar, إدلبي, Idlibi
, coordinates =
, elevation_m = 500
, area_code = 23
, geocode = C3871
, blank_name = Climate
, blank_info ...
, including asking the Syrian Democratic Forces
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svgborder
, caption = Flag
, active = 10 October 2015 – present
, ideology = DemocracyDecentralizationSecularism ...
during the Battle of Baghuz Fawqani for passage out of the area to Idlib with assistance from the Guardians of Religion Organization, and the group playing a role in the process, with ISIL infiltrating it, by recruiting members of the group sympathetic to ISIL to act as agents including senior leadership, as well as facilitating a flow of displaced fighters from former ISIL-held territories and strongholds to Idlib to join the Guardians of Religion Organization, then carrying out assassinations and sabotage campaigns against individuals in the group and other groups and individuals opposed to ISIL, then formally declaring allegiance to ISIL, when ISIL saw the time as right.
In 2018, Iraqi media and security officials claimed to have captured members of the Guardians of Religion Organization embedded with ISIL fighters from the Syrian border town of Abu Kamal
Abu Kamal ( ar, أَبُو كَمَال, ʾAbū Kamāl) or Al-Bukamal ( ar, ٱلْبُوكَمَال, al-Būkamāl) is a city on the Euphrates river in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate of eastern Syria near the border with Iraq. It is the administrat ...
on the Iraqi border heading towards Iraq's Anbar Governorate, and that the group was seeking to expand its presence to northern and central Iraq, and that it was also working with the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order
The Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order ( ar, جيش رجال الطريقة النقشبندية ''Jaysh Rijāl aṭ-Ṭarīqa an-Naqshabandiya''), also called the Naqshbandi Army, is one of a number of underground Ba'athist and Sufi milita ...
, which is led by former Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
-era Baathist
Ba'athism, also stylized as Baathism, (; ar, البعثية ' , from ' , meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection"Hans Wehr''Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'' (4th ed.), page 80) is an Arab nationalist ideology which promotes the creation ...
officers, including Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the Iraqi government also claimed local political parties were financing the group to help it expand into former ISIL-held territories, however the validity of the reports has been questioned.
Prior the foundation the Guardians of Religion Organization, Sami al-Oraydi
Sami al-Oraydi (also: ''al-Uraydi''; ar, سامي العريدي, Sāmī al-ʿUraydī) is a senior sharia official for the al-Qaeda affiliated Hurras al-Din and Guardians of Religion Organization, who was the chief religious authority for al-Nus ...
, who holds an influential position in the group, criticized ISIL and claimed they were Kharijites
The Kharijites (, singular ), also called al-Shurat (), were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the ...
, and called them "Muslim Killers", he also said that Abu Muhammad al-Adnani
Taha Sobhi Falaha ( ar, طٰهٰ صُبْحِيِّ فَلَاحَةٍ, Ṭāhā Ṣobḥī Falāḥa; 1977 – 30 August 2016), known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami ( ar, أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ٱلْعَدْنَانِيُّ ٱلشَ ...
, ISIL's official spokesman at the time, was ignorant and didn't understand the things he said, as well as several posts on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
critical of ISIL, during his tenure as al-Nusra's top Sharia official.
In 2016, Saif al-Adel
Saif al-Adel ( ar, سيف العدل; born April 11, 1960/63) is a former Egyptian colonel, explosives expert, and a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda who is still at large. Adel is under indictment by the United States[Syrian Democratic Forces
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svgborder
, caption = Flag
, active = 10 October 2015 – present
, ideology = DemocracyDecentralizationSecularism ...]
-run internment camps such as the Al-Hawl refugee camp
The al-Hawl refugee camp (also al-Hol refugee camp) is a refugee camp on the southern outskirts of the town of al-Hawl in northern Syria, close to the Syria-Iraq border, which holds individuals displaced from the Islamic State of Iraq and the ...
. The formation is believed to be associated with the Guardians of Religion Organization. However a separate campaign with the same goal launched by ISIL itself called "Kafel" has denounced the Free the Female Prisoners campaign as apostates. Free the Female Prisoners has denied being linked to either ISIL or the Guardians of Religion Organization and claims to be an independent organization willing to work with any faction to achieve their goal of freeing female ISIL prisoners.
In August 2019, an unofficial ISIL media outlet called the Muhajireen Foundation, which provides reports and updates on events that may affect ISIL foreign fighters displaced in Syria, released an infographic showing three separate anti-ISIL operations by HTS in Idlib. One the raids carried out by HTS targeted members of the Guardians of Religion Organization and Ansar al-Tawhid who had ties to ISIL. Two of the arrested individuals were Egyptians. However previously in January 2019, the same foundation cautioned ISIL members displaced in Idlib to avoid large gatherings and avoid Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Guardians of Religion Organization, because HTS and the Guardians of Religion had arrested several ISIL members, the warning also called both HTS and the Guardians apostates.
In October 2019, based on a receipt book of ISIL reportedly found by associates of former American intelligence official Asaad Almohammad, analysts have stated that Baghdadi was paying the members of the group in exchange for hiding him. According to the receipts, ISIL paid at least $67,000 to them from early 2017 to mid-2018, including $7,000 in summer 2018 to prepare bases for ISIL fighters from "al-Khair province", hinting that they helped in smuggling ISIL members. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi pointed to the fact that two groups opposition towards each other. However, Tamimi also speculated that some of the receipts obtained were fabrications, except the ones from March to July 2018 that he was shown.
It is also believed that some members might also be part of a pro-ISIL faction despite the group's official stance regarding ISIL which is critical and generally opposed to it, including reportedly instructing its members not to associate with ISIL members, and ISIL viewing the group as heretical due to their support of the Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
and al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
, as well as the group's hesitance to confront Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, despite tensions between the two.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
The group has held tensions with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on numerous occasions but has largely avoided armed confrontation with HTS, with most of the tensions being confined to media campaigns against each other. In January 2019, the Guardians of Religion Organization accused HTS of being involved in a secret plan to establish a military council under the control of the mainstream Syrian opposition including ex-government defectors, that would be supervised by Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, the Guardians of Religion Organization also claimed that HTS was willing to open the M5 highway to traffic from government-held areas.
Though holding tensions with HTS, the leadership of the Guardians of Religion Organization is respected among HTS members, reportedly causing hesitance for the two to openly fight each other, and HTS adopting a policy of containing the group rather than confronting it in open conflict.
On 7 February 2019, members of the Guardians of Religion Organization shot at a car with HTS members inside following tensions in January. The Guardians of Religion Organization later signed an agreement following the incident, and the Guardians of Religion Organization apologized for killing an HTS member killed by the gunfire. Over the following days afterwards several agreements were made between HTS and the Guardians of Religion Organization to deescalate tensions between the two.
In late October 2019, a faction of the Guardians of Religion Organization led by a cleric named Abu al-Yaman al-Wazzani separated from the Guardians of Religion Organization, and formed a new group called Ansar al-Haq. Wazzani and his supporters claimed that the Guardians of Religion Organization had not held up obligations that they believe the Guardians of Religion Organization promised to uphold, and believed the Guardians of Religion Organization was lacking in the enforcement of Sharia law, followers of Wazzani were mostly reported to be former Jund al-Aqsa and Faylaq al-Sham
The Sham Legion ( ar, فَيْلَق الشَّام, ''Faylaq al-Shām'') is an alliance of Sunni Islamist rebel groups formed in March 2014, during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance was formed from 19 different groups, some of which were previ ...
fighters. Ansar al-Haq was also critical of HTS and its relaxed policy regarding Sharia, believing that HTS allowed immorality and did not implement justice, and also viewed HTS as an oppressive body. After the formation of Ansar al-Haq, HTS arrested Wazzani and his followers. HTS also holds tensions with Jaysh Khorasan, a group close to the Guardians of Religion Organization.
Analysis
It is thought by the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), also known as Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in honor of Meir Amit, is an Israeli-based research group with ties to the Israel Defense Forces and support from the ...
that the formation of the group will weaken HTS. Alexander Sehmer of the Jamestown Foundation
The Jamestown Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based conservative defense policy think tank. Founded in 1984 as a platform to support Soviet defectors, its stated mission today is to inform and educate policy makers about events and trends, which ...
has stated that Guardians of the Religion Organization gives Al Qaeda the best opportunity to improve its fortunes in Syria.
Organization
Leadership
*Abu Jilibib Tubasi, killed in December 2018
*Bilal Khuraisat, also known as Abu Khadija al-Urduni, killed in December 2019
*Sami al-Oraydi
Sami al-Oraydi (also: ''al-Uraydi''; ar, سامي العريدي, Sāmī al-ʿUraydī) is a senior sharia official for the al-Qaeda affiliated Hurras al-Din and Guardians of Religion Organization, who was the chief religious authority for al-Nus ...
*Khalid al-Aruri
Khalid Mustafa Khalifa al-Aruri ( ar, خالد مصطفى خليفة العاروري), known as Abu al-Qassam, was a Palestinians in Jordan, Palestinian-Jordanian Islamic militant and a member of al-Qaeda who was the leader of the Guardians of ...
, also known as Abu al-Qasem al-Urduni, killed in June 2020
*Abu Abdul al-Rahman al-Maki[
*]Saif al-Adel
Saif al-Adel ( ar, سيف العدل; born April 11, 1960/63) is a former Egyptian colonel, explosives expert, and a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda who is still at large. Adel is under indictment by the United States[Abu Humam al-Shami
Samir Hijazi, known as Abu Humam al-Shami or Faruq al-Suri, is a Syrian militant and soldier who was the military chief of al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front. He became the head of the Guardians of Religion Organization in February 2018, ...]
* Sari Shihab, also known as Abu Khallad al-Muhandis, killed in August 2019
*Abu Adnan al-Homsi, logistics and equipment commander, killed in June 2020
*Abu Dhar al-Masri, killed on 15 October 2020
*Abu Yusuf al-Maghribi, killed on 15 October 2020
*Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, killed by drone strike in June 2022
References
External links
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{{Al-Qaeda and direct affiliates
Salafi Jihadist groups
Qutbist organisations
Anti-government factions of the Syrian civil war
2018 establishments in Syria
Jihadist groups in Syria
Jihadist groups in Iraq
Branches of al-Qaeda
Organisations designated as terrorist by Australia