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141-585: In 2011, the governorate was taken over by Syrian rebel militias in the context of the Syrian civil war . In 2017, the governorate came under the nominal control of the Syrian Salvation Government , with Tahrir al-Sham becoming the dominant militia in the region. The governorate saw intense fighting in the 2019 Northwestern Syria offensive and subsequent 2020 offensive , as Syrian government forces advanced deep into rebel territory; by 8 February, only

282-419: A large-workforce. The workforce embraced Salafi doctrines and founded Salafi organisations as they returned to their home-countries. Beginning from 1970s, various Islamist and Jihadist factions attempted to idealize traditional Salafiyya , recasting it as a totalizing political system based on the doctrines of Sayyid Qutb. Majority of Salafis traditionally viewed Salafiyya as a scholarly movement that revived

423-686: A lesser extent, the Baathist Syrian government 's Syrian Arab Army . The SNA has a law enforcement equivalent, the Free Police , which is also backed by Turkey. The SNA currently controls the Afrin area, and nearby areas of Syria bordering Turkey, including the town of Jarabalus . They are currently estimated to have around 70,000 fighters, and have been involved in clashes with the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham since 2022. Formed in 2011 and based in Damascus ,

564-452: A little more than half of the governorate's territory was reported to still be under rebel control. The remainder of rebel-held territory is dubbed by publications such as Reuters , the BBC and Agence France-Presse as Syria's "last rebel stronghold". Idlib Governorate was separated from the neighboring Aleppo Governorate on 17 November 1957, during the reign of President Shukri al-Quwatli . In

705-525: A loosely organized strictly clandestine cell system dependent on hard-line religious leaders for direction. Jund Ansar Allah is, or was, an armed Salafist jihadist organization in the Gaza Strip . On August 14, 2009, the group's spiritual leader, Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa , announced during Friday sermon the establishment of an Islamic emirate in the Palestinian territories attacking the ruling authority,

846-627: A mimicry of the West of which they want to be part of, but reject the other leading to violence. However, more than the ideology itself, it is the circumstances that explain the appeal of Jihadis which is the real cause of violence. The traditional Mujahideen of the previous eras, such as ‘ Omar al-Mukhtar , ‘ Abd al-Qadir, al-Jaza’iri and ‘ Izz al-Din al-Qassam were a different category of people, products of different social circumstances who sought to liberate occupied lands from foreign imperialist and colonial penetrations. Although they gained solidarity across

987-629: A nearby army barracks. Later that day, units of the Syrian Army Special Forces were helicoptered in from Aleppo to regain control, which they did after pounding the town with rockets and mortars, destroying homes and shops and killing and wounding dozens of people. At least 200 people were arrested. The following day a military tribunal ordered the execution of more than a hundred of the detainees. In all, about 150–200 people were said to have been killed. The Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011 – March 2012) were violent incidents involving

1128-626: A ruling" which is under the jurisdiction of the rulers. Salafi jihadists contend that they are not dividing the Muslim community because, in their view, the rulers of Muslim-majority countries and other self-proclaimed Muslims they attack have deviated from Islam and are actually apostates or false Muslims . Quietist Salafis criticize Al-Qaeda and Islamic State as Qutbists and often label Salafi Islamists as " Surooris ". According to them, these organizations are directly opposed to Salafiyya and its manhaj (methodology). Major doctrines of

1269-568: A stronger influence over future terrorist organizations. The crushing defeat of various Arab states in the 1967 Six-Day War led to the de-legitimization of socialist and nationalist ideologies across the Arab world. Their demise provided a fertile ground for the Salafiyya movement, which spread across the Arab world as well as the wider Islamic world. The rise of oil industry in Gulf states also brought in

1410-550: A third belligerent, which had re-branded itself as Liwa al-Aqsa and was attacking the other combatants. The battles were fought in the Idlib Governorate and the western countryside of the Aleppo Governorate . The Khan Shaykhun chemical attack took place on 4 April 2017, on the town of Khan Shaykhun, then under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The town was struck by an airstrike by government forces , which

1551-528: Is a Syrian who fought with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan during the 1990s and previously with the al-Nusra Front , but who left when the group broke official ties with al-Qaeda. Since 2020, Hurras al-Din has not been officially endorsed by al-Qaeda. The group is currently estimated to have around 2500 fighters, an estimated half of whom are foreign fighters, a much higher percentage than in HTS. The group called Dā'ash or

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1692-490: Is a post-modern hybridity whose sources can be found in the past and present, in both Muslim world and Western world. Thus, it is the outcome of cross-fertilisation of sources that are both transnational and local, resulting in a devastating ideology that re-invents the past to induce a "cataclysmic war between two binary oppositions". Contemporary Salafi-Jihadis are primarily products of modernity rather than an extension of traditional Muslim societies. Thus, Jihadis seek to create

1833-429: Is a religiopolitical Sunni Islamist ideology that seeks to establish a global caliphate . An extreme, jihadist interpretation of the broader Salafism movement, Salafi jihadism is characterized by the advocacy of physical violence against both non-Muslims, and self-proclaimed Muslims deemed to be heretics or apostates . In a narrower sense, jihadism refers to the belief that armed confrontation with political rivals

1974-474: Is an "extreme form of Sunni Islamism that rejects democracy and Shia rule". Hafez distinguished them from apolitical and conservative Salafi scholars (such as Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani , Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen , Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz , Wasiullah Abbas , Zubair Ali Zai , and Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh ) but also from the sahwa movement associated with Salman al-Ouda or Safar Al-Hawali . According to Michael Horowitz , Salafi jihad

2115-476: Is an efficient and theologically legitimate method of socio-political change. The Salafist interpretation of sacred Islamic texts is "in their most literal, traditional sense", which adherents claim will bring about the return to "true Islam ". The original use of the term "jihadist Salafists", also spelled "Salafi-jihadi" or "Salafist jihadis", came from French political scientist Gilles Kepel . Kepel used it to refer to international volunteers of

2256-674: Is an ideology that identifies the "alleged source of the Muslims' conundrum" in the "persistent attacks and humiliation of Muslims on the part of an anti-Islamic alliance of what it terms 'Crusaders', 'Zionists', and 'apostates'." The concept was described by the American-Israeli scholar Martin Kramer as an academic term that "will inevitably be [simplified to] jihadism or the jihadist movement in popular usage." According to political scientist Gilles Kepel , Salafist jihadism combined "respect for

2397-885: Is characterized by "five features": Another researcher, Thomas Hegghammer , has outlined five objectives shared by jihadis: Robin Wright notes the importance in Salafi jihadist groups of Al Jazeera journalist Jamal Al Sharif describes Salafi jihadism as combining "the doctrinal content and approach of Salafism and organisational models from Muslim Brotherhood organisations. Their motto emerged as 'Salafism in doctrine, modernity in confrontation ' ". Much of Salafi-Jihadist discourse borrows heavily from Sayyid Qutb's concept of jahiliyya (pre-Islamic ignorance), hakimiyya (Sovereignty of God) and takfir (excommunication). Prominent contemporary ideologues of Salafi jihadism, such as Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi and Abu Qatada al Filistini , drew heavily from

2538-516: Is its branch in Syria. The leader of al-Nusra, Abu Mohammad al-Julani , said that the group would not merge with the Islamic State of Iraq but would still maintain allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri , the leader of al-Qaeda . From 2012 to 2016, the estimated manpower of al-Nusra Front was approximately 6,000–10,000 people, including many foreign fighters. The relationship between the al-Nusra Front and

2679-745: Is represented in 90 out of 2500 investigated religious communities, which was double the number compared to five years earlier. In November and December 2016, authorities closed four salafist mosque in Ecquevilly , the El Islah mosque in Villiers-sur-Marne and two in Seine-Saint-Denis ( Clichy-sous-Bois and Stains ). In December 2017, a salafi-Jihadist mosque in Marseille was closed by authorities for preaching about violent jihad. In August 2018, after

2820-729: Is still active in jihad against the Ba'athist Syrian regime. Perhaps the most famous and effective Salafist jihadist group was Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda evolved from the Maktab al-Khidamat (MAK), or the "Services Office", a Muslim organization founded in 1984 to raise and channel funds and recruit foreign mujahideen for the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. It was established in Peshawar , Pakistan, by Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Yusuf Azzam . As it became apparent that

2961-737: The 2019 northwestern Syria offensive , and consolidated its presence when the National Front for Liberation joined the SNA on 4 October 2019. The official aims of the group are to assist the Republic of Turkey in creating a "safe zone" in Syria , and to establish a National Army. They are strong opponents of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and have also fought the Islamic State (ISIL) and, to

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3102-932: The Algerian Civil War . In Afghanistan , the Taliban were adherents of the Deobandi , not the Salafi school of Islam, but they closely co-operated with bin Laden and various Salafi-jihadist leaders. The largest jihadist-Salafist terrorist operation is considered to be the September 11 attacks against the United States perpetrated by al-Qaeda in 2001. In his research, Seth Jones of the Rand Corporation finds that Salafi-jihadist numbers and activity have increased from 2007 to 2013. According to his research: "Theoreticians" of Salafist jihadism included Afghan jihad veterans such as

3243-584: The Battle of Maarrat al-Nu'man (2016) on 13 March 2016, fighters from the Salafist jihadist groups al-Nusra Front and Jund al-Aqsa launched an overnight attack against the FSA's 13th Division headquarters in the town of Maarrat al-Nu'man to crush local protesters and demonstrations. The battle resulted in a victory for the jihadis. The October 2016 Idlib Governorate clashes were violent confrontations between Jund al-Aqsa and

3384-946: The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan ), attempting to take over a Muslim region (Afghanistan), and had been enthusiastically supported by large numbers of Muslims including governments. Isolated from their national and social class origins and seeking to "rationalize" their "existence and behavior", some Arab Afghan volunteers expanded the targets of their jihad to include the United States and various governments of Muslim-majority countries — whom they perceived as apostates from Islam. Jihadist and Salafist elements of "hybrid" ideology developed by international volunteers (Arab-Afghan mujahideen ) had not been joined previously because mainstream Salafis, dubbed by some Western commentators as "good Salafis", had mostly adhered to political quietism and eschewed political activities and partisan allegiances, viewing them as potentially divisive for

3525-556: The First World War . Rida believed that deference to man-made laws was tantamount to the polytheism of " Jahiliyya " and campaigned for the re-establishment of a Sunni Caliphate that would unite the Muslims. Only this, Rida asserted, alongside the "return to true and pure Islam" exemplified by the tenets of the Salafiyya movement; could liberate Muslim World from colonialism and restore past Islamic glory . Rida's treatises laid

3666-597: The Islamic State (abbrv. IS, ISIL or ISIS), began to make rapid military gains in Northern Syria starting in April 2013 and as of mid-2014 controlled large parts of that region, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described it as "the strongest group". The group strives to establish a global caliphate , by waging war on the "disbelievers". It has imposed strict Sharia law over land that it controls. The group

3807-456: The Islamist group Hamas , for failing to enforce Sharia law. Hamas forces responded to his sermon by surrounding his Ibn Taymiyyah mosque complex and attacking it. In the fighting that ensued, 24 people (including Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa himself) were killed and over 130 were wounded. In 2011, Salafist jihadists were actively involved with protests against King Abdullah II of Jordan , and

3948-824: The Kurdish National Alliance in Syria , the Law–Citizenship–Rights Movement , and since September 2016, the Syria's Tomorrow Movement . In March 2016 the Council declared the creation of an autonomous federation in Northeast Syria and in August that year they opened a public office in al-Hasakah . The Syrian Democratic Council was excluded from the international Geneva III peace talks on Syria in March 2016, as well as other talks since, because of opposition from

4089-806: The Local Coordination Committees of Syria and the Supreme Council of the Syrian Revolution oppose the NCC' calls to dialogue with the Baathist government. Some of the organisations have accused the NCC of being a " front organisation " for Bashar al-Assad 's government and some of its members of being ex-government insiders. In September 2012, the SNC reaffirmed that despite broadening its membership, it would not join with "currents close to [the] NCC". Despite

4230-774: The Muslim Brotherhood Qutb argued that the Muslim world had reached a crisis point and that the Islamic world has been replaced by pagan ignorance of Jahiliyyah , (which directly translates to "ignorance", a term used by Muslims to describe the "dark" ages of pre-Islamic Arabia ). When Qutb went abroad for a two-year scholarship to the United States , it is said he came back with extremist radical beliefs. He used what's been often described by scholars as his "genuine literary excellence" to spread these views of western criticism to form

4371-648: The PKK . After the value of Syrian currency plummeted, the Turkish lira was adopted as legal tender in the governorate on 15 June 2020. Parts of the westernmost regions of the governorate form part of the Al-Ghab Plain , through which the Orontes River flows. The region forms a transitional zone between the forested mountains of the western littoral and the Syrian desert to the east. The Jabal Zawiya highland region lies in

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4512-541: The Salafis whom he encountered in Europe in the 1980s, were "totally apolitical". However, by the mid-1990s, he met some who felt jihad in the form of "violence and terrorism" was "justified to realize their political objectives". The mingling of many Salafists who were alienated from mainstream European society with violent jihadists created "a volatile mixture". "When you're in the state of such alienation you become easy prey to

4653-578: The Syrian Arab Republic and allies, the Syrian opposition and allies, Al-Qaeda and affiliates, Islamic State , and the originally mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces . A number of sources have emphasized that as of at least late-2015/early-2016 the Syrian Arab Republic was dependent on a mix of volunteers and militias, rather than the Syrian Armed Forces . Between 2016 and 2020, with

4794-609: The Syrian Christian militias (such as Sootoro in Al-Hasakah ) also fight on the Syrian government's side to defend their ancient towns, villages and farmsteads from ISIL (see also Christian Militias in Syria ). The Shabiha ( Levantine Arabic : شَبِّيحَة Šabbīḥa , pronounced [ʃabˈbiːħa] ; also romanized Shabeeha or Shabbiha ; lit.   ' ghosts ' ) are unofficial pro-government militias drawn largely from Syria's Alawite minority group. Since

4935-625: The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood , Kurdish and Assyrian factions, representatives of Alawi communities and Local Coordination Committees. The National Council seeks the end of Bashar al-Assad 's rule and the establishment of a modern, civil, democratic state. SNC has links with the Free Syrian Army . The Kurdish parties eventually left the Council, after it resisted their demands for political decentralisation. On 11 November 2012 in Doha,

5076-716: The Syrian Salvation government , an alternative government of the Syrian Opposition which currently governs parts of the Idlib Governorate . It is seen as illegitimate by the opposition's main Syrian Interim Government . Initially, the Salvation government harshly enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, but in recent years the group has become more tolerant. The religious police has been disbanded and

5217-518: The Syrian rebel group the Ahrar al-Sham , the latter supported by several other rebel groups. The Idlib Governorate clashes (January–March 2017) were military confrontations between Syrian rebel factions led by Ahrar al-Sham and their allies on one side and the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (later as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ) and their allies on the other. After 7 February, the clashes also included Jund al-Aqsa as

5358-465: The U.S. retreat from Afghanistan in 2021. Political Militant [REDACTED] Islam portal In the words of Madawi al Rasheed , Salafi jihadism is "a hybrid construction deeply rooted in the last three decades of the twentieth century that is desperate to anchor itself in an authentic Islamic tradition, yet reflecting serious borrowing from the discourse of Western modernity". According to Madawi Al Rasheed, ideology of Jihadi-Salafism

5499-419: The United States . In it he complained of Western materialism , individual freedoms , economic system, racism , brutal boxing matches, "poor" haircuts , superficiality in conversations and friendships, restrictions on divorce , enthusiasm for sports , lack of artistic feeling, "animal-like" mixing of the sexes (which "went on even in churches"), and strong support for the new Israeli state . He

5640-612: The jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan who had come from around the world to fight for Islam against Marxist–Leninist forces in Afghanistan and had lost the American-Saudi funding and interest after the Soviet forces had withdrawn but wanted to continue waging jihad elsewhere. Their original jihad was against an aggressive anti-religious power (Soviet Union and its allies like

5781-639: The "sheikists" had forsaken adoration of God for adoration of "the oil sheiks of the Arabian peninsula, with the Al Saud family at their head". Principal among the sheikist scholars was Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz – "the archetypal court ulema [ ulama al-balat ]". These allegedly "false" salafi "had to be striven against and eliminated", but even more infuriating was the Salafi Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood , whom

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5922-437: The 1980s, Salafi jihadists had by the mid-2000s acquired "a burgeoning presence in Europe, having attempted more than 30 terrorist attacks among E.U. countries since 2001". While many see the influence and activities of Salafi jihadists as in decline after 2000 (at least in the United States), others see the movement as growing in the wake of the Arab Spring , the breakdown of state control in Libya and Syria in 2014, and

6063-432: The 2004 Syrian census the population was 1,258,400. A 2011 UNOCHA estimate put the population at 1,501,000, though this has likely changed since the start of the war. The inhabitants are mostly Sunni Muslims , although there is a significant Christian minority. Syrian rebel A number of states and armed groups have involved themselves in the Syrian civil war (2011–present) as belligerents . The main groups are

6204-414: The Afghan jihad, such as Abu Qatada al-Filistini , the naturalized Spanish Syrian Abu Musab , and Mustapha Kamel known as Abu Hamza al-Masri , among others. The jihadist ideology of Qutbism has been identified variously as the ideological foundation of the movement, a closely related Islamist ideology, or a variety of revolutionary Salafism. While Salafism had little presence in Europe during

6345-576: The Afghanistan jihad and unlike the more moderate AIS, fought to destabilize the Algerian government with terror attacks designed to "create an atmosphere of general insecurity". It considered jihad in Algeria fard ayn or an obligation for all (sane adult male) Muslims, and sought to "purge" Algeria of "the ungodly" and create an Islamic state. It pursued what Gilles Kepel called "wholesale massacres of civilians ", targeting French-speaking intellectuals, foreigners, and Islamists deemed too moderate, and took its campaign of bombing to France, which supported

6486-436: The Algerian government against the Islamists. Although over 150,000 were killed in the civil war, the GIA eventually lost popular support and was crushed by the security forces. Remnants of the GIA continued on as "Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat", which as of 2015 calls itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb . Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya , (the Islamic Group) another Salafist-jihadi movement fought an insurgency against

6627-450: The Assad government had long been allies, and the fall of the regime would have meant the loss of an important Russian ally in the region. The Russian forces proved to be a deciding factor in the war, helping the Assad regime to stay in power. The Syrian war became an important testing ground and boost for Russian mercenary armies, such as the Wagner Group . In 2022, Russia withdrew most of their troops from Syria, to reinforce their army at

6768-450: The Coalition's leadership council are to include women and representatives of religious and ethnic minorities, including Alawites. The military council will reportedly include the Free Syrian Army . The main aims of the National Coalition are replacing the Bashar al-Assad government and "its symbols and pillars of support", "dismantling the security services", unifying and supporting the Free Syrian Army, refusing dialogue and negotiation with

6909-407: The Defence Minister, announced the forming of the Syrian National Army after meeting with rebel commanders in the town of Azaz . The newly formed body claimed to have 22,000 fighters, many of them trained and equipped by Turkey. Though concentrated in Turkish-occupied areas , originally as a part of Operation Euphrates Shield , the SNA also established a presence in the Idlib Governorate during

7050-418: The Egyptian government from 1992 to 1998 during which at least 800 Egyptian policemen and soldiers, jihadists, and civilians were killed. Outside of Egypt it is best known for a November 1997 attack at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor where fifty-eight foreign tourists trapped inside the temple were hunted down and hacked and shot to death. The group declared a ceasefire in March 1999, although as of 2012 it

7191-451: The FSA became more dependent on Turkish help. For the FSA, Turkey was a sanctuary and a source of supplies. From late August 2016, the Turkish government assembled a new coalition of Syrian rebel groups, including many that were in the FSA. Often referred to as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), this force would adopt the name Syrian National Army in 2017. By March 2017, the FSA together with Kurdish militias finished clearing

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7332-406: The FSA by the West as a moderate opposition faction has allowed it, under the CIA -run programmes, to receive sophisticated weaponry and other military support from the U.S., Turkey and some Gulf countries . However, the aid which was coming in from other countries did not flow through a centralised command but in a fragmented way, based on personal contacts, which led to internal rivalries within

7473-423: The FSA. Abu Yusaf , a commander of the Islamic State (IS), claimed in August 2014 that many of the FSA members who had been trained by United States' and Turkish and Arab military officers ended up joining IS. However, by September 2014 the Free Syrian Army was joining an alliance and common front with Kurdish militias including the YPG to fight IS. In December 2015, according to the American Institute for

7614-435: The HTS leader is advocating against the US designation of the group as a terrorist organisation , calling it "unfair". Contrary to al-Qaeda, HTS does not strive to create a global caliphate but is more locally oriented, with its primary objective being the establishment of Islamic rule in Syria through “toppling the criminal [Assad] regime and expelling the Iranian militias." The group gains money through spoils captured from

7755-413: The Islamic State from the north of Syria. The FSA currently works in the 55 km area, alongside the border with Iraq and Jordan to prevent drug trafficking and IS activity in the region. On 30 December 2017, at least 30 factions operating under the banner of the Syrian Interim Government merged in a unified armed group after four months of preparations. Jawad Abu Hatab , the Prime Minister and

7896-438: The Islamic World, they were not transnational actors. Salafi-Jihadis on the other hand, die for an imagined globalised faith, shares Western modernity (despite its critique), and advocate a neo-liberal free-market rationale, in their quest for a global World Order. Thus Jihadi-Salafism has as much to do with the West as with Salafism or religion in general. Another definition of Salafi jihadism, offered by Mohammed M. Hafez ,

8037-431: The NCC recognising the Free Syrian Army on 23 September 2012, the FSA has dismissed the NCC as an extension of the government, stating that "this opposition is just the other face of the same coin". In June 2023, the NCC came to an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Council and the two groups published a "consensus document" in which they stated their shared goals and visions for the future of Syria. These goals include

8178-401: The National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change is an opposition bloc consisting of 13 left-wing and Arab nationalist political parties and "independent political and youth activists". It has been defined by Reuters as the internal opposition's main umbrella group. In 2011, the group organised its first conference, opposing militarisation, internationalisation and sectarianisation of

8319-401: The National Council and other opposition groups united as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces . The Syrian National Council has 22 out of 60 seats of the Syrian National Coalition. The following day, it was recognised as the legitimate government of Syria by numerous Arab Gulf states, and later by the US, France, Turkey, Spain and the UK as well. Delegates to

8460-419: The Palestinian Abu Qatada , the Syrian Mustafa Setmariam Nasar , the Egyptian Mustapha Kamel, known as Abu Hamza al-Masri . Osama bin Laden was its most well-known leader. The dissident Saudi preachers Salman al-Ouda and Safar Al-Hawali , were held in high esteem by this school. Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri would praise Sayyid Qutb , stating that Qutb's call formed the ideological inspiration for

8601-433: The Qatar-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies , "semi-criminal gangs comprised of thugs close to the government". Despite the group's image as an Alawite militia, some Shabiha operating in Aleppo have been reported to be Sunnis. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shia armed group and political force based in Lebanon . On 25 May 2013, its leader Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that Hezbollah troops were fighting with

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8742-473: The Salafi Jihadist movement have its roots in early heterodox sects such as the Kharijites . As a result, heavy creedal disparities exist between traditional Salafis and Salafi Jihadists. Mainstream Salafism, which consists of both quietist and political Salafis, reject the violence of Jihadists. Major Purist Salafi ulema condemn certain Salafi-jihadist organisations as Kharijites . The Egyptian Islamist movements of 1950s are generally considered to be

8883-492: The Salafi jihadists considered excessively moderate and lacking in a stricter literalist interpretation of holy texts. Quietist Salafi scholarship in turn, denounce Salafi jihadism as a heterodox ideology far-removed from Salafi orthodoxy. Quietist Salafi scholars such as Albani , Ibn Uthaymeen , Ibn Baz , Saleh Al-Fawzan , and Muqbil ibn Hadi condemned rebellion against the rulers as "the most corrupt of innovations", and forbade Muslims "to take it upon himself to execute

9024-599: The Shabiha for the many violent excesses committed against anti-government protesters and opposition sympathizers, as well as looting and destruction. The Shabiha phenomenon started in the 1980s, not as one specific group but as a number of criminal and semi-criminal groups affiliated with the Assad clan. Bassel al-Assad attempted to curtail their activities in the 1990s but did not fully succeed. The Shabiha have been described as "a notorious Alawite paramilitary, who are accused of acting as unofficial enforcers for Assad's government"; "gunmen loyal to Assad", and, according to

9165-420: The Study of War , groups identifying as FSA were still present around Aleppo and Hama and in southern Syria , and the FSA was still "the biggest and most secular of the rebel groups." However, the group continued to suffer losses from fighters who joined the Syrian Democratic Forces or IS. After the Turkish military intervention in Syria in 2016, and as other countries began to scale back their involvement,

9306-401: The Syrian Arab Republic with financial, technical, and military support, including the training and sending of combat troops. Iran and Syria are close strategic allies , as Iran sees the survival of the Assad government as being crucial to its regional interests. Iran's supreme leader , Ali Khamenei , was reported to be vocally in favor of the Baathist government. By December 2013, Iran

9447-481: The Syrian Arab Republic. The number of Afghans fighting in Syria has been estimated at "between 10,000 and 18,000" at its height, but is currently estimated between 500-1500. The main force composed of Afghan fighters is the liwa' fatimiyun ( Fatemiyoun Brigade ), which was found in late 2012. The number of Pakistani fighters is much lower, between 800 and 2500, and concentrated in the liwa' zaynabiyun ( Zaynabiyun Brigade ) formed in November 2015. Many or most of

9588-400: The Syrian Army was estimated at 169,000 active troops. Most of the divisions in the army are under-strength, but Russia has been assisting in the reconstruction and re-equipment of some divisions. The Syrian NDF ( Arabic : قوات الدفاع الوطني Quwāt ad-Difāʿ al-Watanī) was formed out of pro-government militias in 2013. The forces act in an infantry role, directly fighting against rebels on

9729-422: The Syrian National Army in the north of Syria since 2022. In the beginning of 2024, protests broke out across Idlib province against HTS, their mismanagement of the local economy, and the detention and torture of political prisoners. Tanzim Hurras al-Din is a Salafi Jihadist group that was formed as a merger between several al-Qaeda aligned factions in February 2018. The head of the group, Abu Humam al-Shami ,

9870-417: The Syrian National Coalition formed the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), in order to rule the territories which had been liberated from the regime. The SIG was created to give the opposition movement more legitimacy 'on the ground', by offering humanitarian assistance and governance. The minister of defence was to be chosen by the Free Syrian Army. The interim government's headquarters in Syria are located in

10011-503: The Syrian army against Islamic extremists and pledged that "his group will not allow Syrian militants to control areas that border Lebanon". In the televised address, he said, "If Syria falls in the hands of America, Israel and the takfiris , the people of our region will go into a dark period." He also called on Shiites and Hezbollah to protect the shrine of Sayida Zeinab . President Bashar al-Assad had denied earlier that May that there were foreign fighters, Arab or otherwise, fighting for

10152-617: The Turkish state. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are an alliance of mainly Kurdish but also Arab , Syriac-Assyrian , and Turkmen militias with mainly left-wing and democratic confederalist political leanings. They are opposed to the Assad government, but have directed most of their efforts against Al-Nusra Front and ISIL . Salafist jihadist [REDACTED] Politics portal Salafi jihadism , also known as Salafi-jihadism , jihadist Salafism and revolutionary Salafism ,

10293-637: The United States , Australia , Bahrain , Canada , France , Jordan , the Netherlands , Saudi Arabia , Turkey , the United Arab Emirates , and the United Kingdom . Some members are involved in the conflict beyond combating ISIL; Turkey has been accused of fighting against Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, including intelligence collaborations with ISIL in some cases. As of December 2017, Russia declared ISIL to be totally defeated within Syria. At

10434-591: The United States. In 1996, it announced its jihad to expel foreign troops and interests from what they considered Islamic lands, and in 1998, it issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill Americans and their allies whenever and wherever they could. Among its most notable acts of violence were the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi that killed over 200 people; and the 9/11 attacks of 2001 that killed almost 3,000 people and caused many billions of dollars in damage. According to Mohammed M. Hafez, "as of 2006

10575-427: The al-Assad government, and "holding accountable those responsible for killing Syrians, destroying [Syria], and displacing [Syrians]." The NC was criticised for their weak political and organisational dynamics, caused by internal power conflicts. The NC's main function was to coordinate the humanitarian assistance, instead of forming a real political leadership. In 2013, after pressure from France, Turkey and Qatar,

10716-634: The al-Nusra Front was often considered to be the most aggressive and violent part of the opposition. Being responsible for over 50 suicide bombings, including several deadly explosions in Damascus in 2011 and 2012, it was recognized as a terrorist organization by the Syrian Arab Republic and was designated as such by United States in December 2012. In April 2013, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq released an audio statement announcing that al-Nusra Front

10857-482: The areas of Afrin , Jazira , Euphrates , Raqqa , Tabqa , Manbij , and Deir Ez-Zor . The region gained its de facto autonomy in 2012 in the context of the ongoing Rojava conflict and the wider Syrian civil war , in which its official military force, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has taken part. The Syrian Democratic Council is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces and serves as

10998-473: The attack to the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . The Assad government denied using any chemical weapons in the air strike. The Idlib Governorate clashes (July 2017) were a series of military confrontations between Ahrar al-Sham and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. During the clashes, Tahrir al-Sham attempted to capture the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing . As a result of the clashes, HTS took control of Idlib city,

11139-470: The beginning of 2005". According to Mohammed M. Hafez, in Iraq jihadi salafi are pursuing a "system-collapse strategy" whose goal is to install an "Islamic emirate based on Salafi dominance, similar to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan." In addition to occupation/coalition personnel they target mainly Iraqi security forces and Shia civilians, but also "foreign journalists, translators and transport drivers and

11280-482: The beginning of 2014, approximately 500 Hezbollah fighters had died in the Syrian conflict. In 2014, Nasrallah claimed the Hezbollah fighters had helped Assad take back control over the country, and that the Syrian regime was no longer in danger of being toppled. The current number of Hezbollah troops in Syria is estimated to be around 7000-8000. Since the civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war , Iran has provided

11421-743: The border crossing, and most of the areas along the Turkish border in the Idlib Province. Clashes resumed in July 2017 . In September 2017, the Syrian government and its Russian allies intensified bombing raids against rebel-held towns in Idlib, with multiple casualties. Officially, the campaign to capture areas held by ISIL and the rebels began in October. A Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate took place in October/November 2017. As of August 2018, following

11562-613: The border from Syria in Iraq, IS has carried out a genocide of the Yazidi people , killing hundreds of men, enslaving thousands of women and children and expelling the Yazidis from their homeland. By summer 2014, ISIL controlled a third of Syria. It established itself as the dominant force of Syrian opposition, defeating Jabhat al-Nusra in Deir Ezzor Governorate and claiming control over most of Syria's oil and gas production. Mostly,

11703-475: The broader Muslim community and as a distraction from the studying and practicing of Islam. Prominent Quietist Salafi scholars have denounced doctrines of Salafi jihadism as Bid'ah ("innovation") and "heretical", strongly forbidding Muslims from participating or assisting in any armed underground activity against ruling governments. Jihadist salafists often dismiss the quietist scholars as "'sheikist" traitors, portraying them as palace scholars worried about

11844-492: The city of Azaz in Aleppo Governorate . As of June 2019 its prime minister is Abdurrahman Mustafa and as of July 2021 its president is Salem al-Meslet . The formation of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was announced on 29 July 2011 by a group of defecting Syrian Army officers, encouraging others to defect to defend civilian protesters from violence by the state and effect government change. By December 2011, estimates of

11985-693: The complete separation between the Muslim and the non-Muslim, by propagating Al Wala' Wal Bara' and declaring takfir against any Muslim who (they believe) is a mushrik (polytheist) and does not return to the observance of tawhid and the strict literal interpretation of the Quran and the Sunnah as followed by Muhammad and his companions (Sahaba). In Syria and Iraq both Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS have been described as Salafist-jihadist. Jabhat al-Nusra has been described as possessing "a hard-line Salafi-Jihadist ideology" and being one of "the most effective" groups fighting

12126-516: The contemporary Salafi-Jihadist movement. Other leading figures in the movement include Anwar al-Awlaki , former leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) ; Abu Bakar Bashir , leader of the banned Indonesian militant group ( Jema'ah Islamiyah ); Nasir al-Fahd , Saudi Arabian Salafi-Jihadist scholar who opposes the Saudi state, and reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS ; Mohammed Yusuf ,

12267-543: The death of over 1,000 more, often in aerial bombardments. As of March 2020 – if not sooner – rebel control over Idlib Governorate was considered a matter of political survival of the Turkish President Erdoğan . If Idlib falls back into the hands of the Syrian government, the next targets would be the Turkish-controlled zones in northern Syria, and their fall would signal the failings of Erdogan's war against

12408-508: The drafting of a new constitution, the rejection of separatist and divisive groups and the establishment of one united national democratic front. Al-Qaeda is a jihadist militant group that was found in 1988 in Pakistan by Osama Bin Laden . Several groups aligned with Al-Qaeda have become armed actors in the Syrian Civil War. Prior to the expansion of ISIL, al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate,

12549-474: The early 1980s, the Idlib Governorate was one of the focal points of the Islamist uprising in Syria . Jisr ash-Shugur was the scene of a mass killing by Syrian security forces in 1980 . On 9 March 1980, against a background of anti-government protests across Syria, inhabitants of Jisr ash-Shugur marched on the local Ba'ath Party headquarters and set it on fire. The police were unable to restore order and fled. Some demonstrators seized weapons and ammunition from

12690-655: The economic and physical infrastructure of Iraq." Salafist jihadist groups include Al Qaeda , the now defunct Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA), and the Egyptian group Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya which still exists. In the Algerian Civil War 1992–1998, the GIA was one of the two major Islamist armed groups (the other being the Armee Islamique du Salut or AIS) fighting the Algerian army and security forces. The GIA included veterans of

12831-617: The end of 2018, the US declared it defeated, although its UK and German allies disagreed. On 23 March 2019 the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces declared ISIS Defeated, after seizing their last enclave of territory. In October 2019, the US assassinated IS leader al-Baghdadi. ISIL named Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al-Qurayshi as Baghdadi's successor. As of 2024, ISIL continues to be active militarily in Northeast Syria, although it has lost almost all of its territory. Instead, most of

12972-453: The end of the Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya , which had been government-held until July 2018, the governorate is almost entirely under the control of the Syrian rebels (primarily the National Front for Liberation , which has over 50,000 fighters) along with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, with estimated numbers of fighters between 12,000 and 30,000. In September 2018, a demilitarization zone was created on

13113-547: The fighters were refugees living in Iran, and survivors and defectors of the Fatemiyoun reported being coerced or bribed into joining the militia, and being sent to the most dangerous front lines with little to no training. On 30 September 2015, Russia launched a military intervention in Syria to support the government of Bashar al-Assad in its fight against the Syrian opposition and Islamic State (IS). The Russian government and

13254-486: The founder of the Nigerian Boko Haram ; Omar Bakri Muhammad , Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , leader of terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Levant ; etc. Murad al-Shishani of The Jamestown Foundation states there have been three generations of Salafi-jihadists: those waging jihad in Afghanistan , Bosnia and Iraq . As of the mid-2000s, Arab fighters in Iraq were "the latest and most important development of

13395-463: The front between the government and the Turkish-backed opposition, temporarily freezing the conflict. On October 26, 2019, U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) conducted a raid in the Idlib province of Syria, on the border with Turkey, that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi . The raid was launched after a CIA intelligence effort located him, and conducted during

13536-570: The front in Ukraine . As of 2024, the estimated number of Russian troops in Syria is 4000. In a March 2023 interview with Russian media, Assad stated that he would welcome more Russian troops and military bases in Syrian territory. Formed on 23 August 2011, the National Council is a coalition of anti-government groups, based in Turkey. The group includes signatories of the 2005 Damascus Declaration ,

13677-436: The global Salafi-jihadi movement". These fighters were usually not Iraqis, but volunteers who had come to Iraq from other countries, mainly Saudi Arabia . Unlike in earlier Salafi jihadi actions, Egyptians "are no longer the chief ethnic group". According to Bruce Livesey Salafist jihadists are currently a "burgeoning presence in Europe, having attempted more than 30 terrorist attacks among EU countries" from September 2001 to

13818-498: The government in Syria. Hezbollah's decision to aid the Syrian government is most likely due to the fact that they enjoy the protection of the government when it comes to the group's arms procurement and storage in Syria. Syria forms an important access corridor between Hezbollah in Lebanon and their supporter, Iran, and the survival of a regime that was friendly to Hezbollah was in the group's best interest. In 2012 and 2013, Hezbollah

13959-529: The ground and running counter-insurgency operations in coordination with the army, who provides them with logistical and artillery support. Many of the fighters are trained in Iran, and they receive their salaries and military equipment from the Syrian government. As of 2024, the NDF numbers around 50,000 troops. The forces have a 500-strong women's wing called " Lionesses of National Defense " which operates checkpoints. The NDF are mostly made up of Alawites, but many of

14100-781: The group merged together with other groups into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . In January 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was formed when al-Nusra joined with other Salafi factions Ansar al-Din Front , Jaysh al-Sunna , the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement and Liwa al-Haqq . (The Ansar al-Din Front and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement have since split off). The newly-formed HTS went on to gain more followers from defectors from Ahrar al-Sham . HTS fighters went after IS militants who fled to Idlib after their defeat and cracked down on Hurras al-Din , another militant group with ties to al-Qaeda. In November 2017, HTS created

14241-571: The group was engaging in offensives against the Syrian Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army, but they also targeted the Syrian Democratic Forces. ISIL have planted bombs in the ancient city area of Palmyra , which is counted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is home to some of the most extensive and best-preserved ancient Roman ruins in the world. Having lost nearly half of their territory in Iraq between 2014 and 2016, some Islamic State leaders in Iraq moved into Syria, further destabilising

14382-501: The group's activity nowadays is carried out by affiliate branches in Afghanistan, Pakistan and various countries in Africa. Some international forces have remained in Syria to carry out missions against IS members and to prevent a resurgence of the movement. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria , also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria . It consists of self-governing sub-regions in

14523-538: The help of Russia and Iran, the Syrian Arab Armed Forces were rebuilt and united most of the armed militias. The Syrian Armed Forces are made up of the Syrian Arab Army (includes Republican Guard), Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces and Syrian Air Defense Forces . Before the uprising and war broke out, the Syrian Armed Forces were estimated at 295,000 regular troops and 314,000 reservists. While

14664-553: The higher positions in the army were mostly occupied by Alawites , the ground troops were mostly made up of Sunnis, and once the uprisings began, the Syrian regime hesitated to employ these troops against the Sunni rebels. Therefore, the army relied on loyal elite units and Alawite militias such as the Shabiha . Due to defections following the uprisings, by the end of 2013 the number of regular troops had decreased to around 110,000. As of 2024,

14805-551: The indigenous Syrian opposition was tense, even though al-Nusra has fought alongside the FSA in several battles and some FSA fighters defected to the al-Nusra Front. The Mujahideen's strict religious views and willingness to impose sharia law disturbed many Syrians. Some rebel commanders have accused foreign jihadists of "stealing the revolution", robbing Syrian factories and displaying religious intolerance. The al-Nusra Front renamed itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) in June 2016. In 2017,

14946-454: The jihad had compelled the Soviet military to abandon its mission in Afghanistan, some mujahideen called for the expansion of their operations to include Islamist struggles in other parts of the world, and Al Qaeda was formed by bin Laden on August 11, 1988. Members were to making a pledge ( bayat ) to follow one's superiors. Al-Qaeda emphasized jihad against the "far enemy", by which it meant

15087-564: The jihadi guys who will feed you more savory propaganda than the old propaganda of the Salafists who tell you to pray, fast and who are not taking action". In the 1990s, militant Islamists of the al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya were active in the terrorist attacks on police, government officials, and foreign tourists in Egypt, and the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria was a principal extremist group in

15228-634: The kidnapping and killing of Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni in Hamas -controlled Gaza Strip . In the North Caucasus region of Russia, the Caucasus Emirate replaced the nationalism of Muslim Chechnya and Dagestan with a hard-line Salafist-takfiri jihadist ideology. They are immensely focused on upholding the concept of tawhid (purist monotheism), and fiercely reject any practice of shirk , taqlid , ijtihad and bid‘ah . They also believe in

15369-514: The legislative government of the AANES. The Syrian Democratic Council was established on 10 December 2015 in al-Malikiyah . It was co-founded by prominent human rights activist Haytham Manna and was intended as the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The council includes more than a dozen blocs and coalitions that support federalism in Syria, including the Movement for a Democratic Society ,

15510-543: The main intellectual doctrine for the Muslim Brotherhood , which later be adopted by most terrorist organizations worldwide. Qutbism doctrine of Islam interpretation emphasizes how the secular, infidel Muslim leaders and populations have fallen to imitating the western way of life, and that before any prosperity would occur, the Muslim world must revert to the Caliphate -age Shari'ah Law instead of "Man-made laws". He issued ideological & religious debates stating that

15651-466: The model of Khulafa Rashidun . Rida's ideas would set the foundations of future Salafi-Jihadist movements and greatly influence Islamists like Hasan al-Banna , Sayyid Qutb , and other Islamic fundamentalist figures. Rashid Rida fervently opposed Western ideas and foreign influences, and his activities were focused on overturning the encroachment of secular laws across the Muslim World following

15792-503: The newly formed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government-loyal forces, during which the FSA took control of Saraqib , Binnish , Sarmin , Ariha , Zardana , al-Bara and Taftanaz . This included the 10 March Battle of Idlib (2012) , a government victory. This led to the April 2012 Idlib Governorate Operation in which the government unsuccessfully sought to regain control. A consequent cease-fire attempt lasted from 14 April to 2 June 2012. This

15933-621: The number of defectors to the FSA ranged from 1,000 to over 25,000. The group received weaponry, provisions and money from regional states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, and from the US. The FSA, initially "headquartered" in Turkey, moved its headquarters to northern Syria in September 2012, and currently functions more as an umbrella organisation than a traditional military chain of command. The group started out with guerilla-style raids and ambushes, but as they gathered more members more complex assault tactics were used. The designation of

16074-410: The participation in democratic systems across the world to Islamize the political order through the existing structures. These revolutionary Islamist doctrines advocating violent overthrow of the existing political order, is seen as heretical by Quietist Salafis. Salafi jihadists distinguish themselves from Quietist salafis whom they label "sheikist", so named because – the jihadists believe – that

16215-485: The patronage of "the oil sheiks of the Arabian peninsula " rather than pure Islam, and contend that they are not dividing the Muslim community because, in their view, the rulers of Muslim-majority countries and other self-proclaimed Muslims they attack are not actually part of the community, having deviated from Islam and become apostates or false Muslims . Early ideologues of the movement were Arab Afghan veterans of

16356-461: The precursors of contemporary Salafi-Jihadist movements. The theological doctrines of the Syrian -Egyptian Islamic scholar Sayyid Rashid Rida (1865–1935 CE) greatly influenced these movements. Amongst his notable ideas included reviving the traditions of the early Muslim generations ( Salaf ) as well ridding the Islamic World of Western influences and Jahiliyya by specifically looking up to

16497-536: The regime and opposition factions, prisoner exchange deals, the plunder of historical sites and the selling of artifacts, the claiming of private property from Christians and government supporters, and through taxes. The current leader of HTS is Abu Mohammad al-Julani . The group had an estimated 10,000 members in 2024. HTS has denied being part of al-Qaeda and said in a statement that it is "an independent entity and not an extension of previous organisations or factions". The group has been involved in fierce clashes with

16638-623: The regime. Writing after ISIS victories in Iraq, Hassan Hassan believes ISIS is a reflection of "ideological shakeup of Sunni Islam's traditional Salafism" since the Arab Spring, where salafism, "traditionally inward-looking and loyal to the political establishment", has "steadily, if slowly", been eroded by Salafism-jihadism. Boko Haram in Nigeria is a Salafi jihadism group that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 2.3 million from their homes, In France, in 2015 police say that salafism

16779-615: The region. Starting in 2014, an international coalition of states intervened against ISIL . A number of countries, including some individual NATO members, participated in air operations in Syria that came to be overseen by the Combined Joint Task Force , set up by the US Central Command to coordinate military efforts against ISIL pursuant to their collectively undertaken commitments, including those of 3 December 2014 . Those who have conducted airstrikes in Syria include

16920-702: The religious faith of Muslims through teaching and devout adherence to Islamic decrees. Additionally, they advocated Salafism to remain uncontaminated from politics. However, a minority sought the establishment of an Islamic system through violent means, based on Sayyid Qutb's concepts of Hakimiyya (Sovereignty of God). They advocated a global Jihad, with clear political overtones, to fight for Muslim liberation across national boundaries. This movement came to be known as Salafi-Jihadism. Groups like Takfir wal-Hijra , who kidnapped and murdered an Egyptian ex-government minister in 1978, also inspired some of "the tactics and methods" used by Al Qaeda. Gilles Kepel writes that

17061-499: The round breasts, the full buttocks, and in the shapely thighs, sleek legs – and she shows all this and does not hide it. On 29 August 1966, Sayyid Qutb was executed by hanging by Egyptian president's Gamal Abdel-Nasser 's regime for his alleged role in the president's assassination plot. This would later paint him as an Islamic martyr or shahid (he is often called "Shahid Sayyid Qutb" or Sayyid Qutb al-Shahid by admirers) among supporters & Islamist circles, particularly as

17202-570: The sacred texts in their most literal form, ... with an absolute commitment to jihad, whose number-one target had to be America, perceived as the greatest enemy of the faith." 13th-century Hanbalite jurist Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyya (1328 C.E/ 728 A.H), a maverick cleric known for his fierce anti-Mongol stances, is the most authoritative classical theologian in Salafi-jihadist discourse. According to Mohammed M. Hafez, contemporary jihadi Salafism

17343-581: The secular and Western-allied governments in the Arab World , until the restoration of Islamic rule . Sayyid Qutb's brother, Muhammad Qutb was one of Osama bin Laden’s teachers at university. Sayyid Qutb has been described as "Al-Qaeda's Philosopher". Ayman al Zawahiri , the Egyptian who was second in command and co-founder of Al-Qaeda , called Qutb, "the most prominent theoretician of the fundamentalist movements". In his writings, both before and after joining

17484-409: The south-central areas of the governorate. Idlib is the provincial capital; other major settlements include Abu al-Duhur , Al Hamdaniyah, Ariha , Harem , Jisr al-Shughur , Kafrsajna , Khan Shaykhun , Ma'arrat al-Nu'man , Salqin , Saraqib and Taftanaz . The governorate is divided into five districts ( manatiq ), which are further divided into 26 sub-districts ( nawahi ): As per

17625-538: The summer of 2013, Iran and Hezbollah provided important battlefield support for Syrian forces, allowing them to make advances on the opposition. In 2014, coinciding with the peace talks at Geneva II , Iran has stepped up support for Syrian President Assad. The Syrian Minister of Finance and Economy stated more than 15 billion dollars had come from the Iranian government. Prior to his assassination , Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 's Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani

17766-628: The theological framework of future militants who would eventually establish the Salafi-Jihadi movement. Fore-runners of Salafi jihadism principally includes Egyptian militant Islamist scholar and theoretician Sayyid Qutb , who developed "the intellectual underpinnings", in the 1950s, for what would later become the doctrine of most Jihadist organizations around the world, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS . Going radically further than his predecessors, Qutb called upon Muslims to form an ideologically committed vanguard that would wage armed Jihad against

17907-541: The trial was alleged to be a show trial . Qutb wrote his major Islamist works (a commentary of the Qur'an, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Qur'an), and a manifesto of political Islam called Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq ( Milestones ), while incarcerated and allegedly tortured. This, alongside his allegedly extrajudicial execution, elevated the value of these two major writings, giving his radical, violent Islamist doctrine in his writings

18048-673: The two major groups within the jihadi Salafi camp" in Iraq were the Mujahidin Shura Council and the Ansar al Sunna Group. There are also a number of small jihadist Salafist groups in Azerbaijan . The group leading the Islamist insurgency in Southern Thailand in 2006 by carrying out most of the attacks and cross-border operations, BRN-Koordinasi , favours Salafi ideology. It works in

18189-463: The uprising, the Baathist Syrian government has been accused of using Shabiha to break up protests and enforce laws in restive neighborhoods. As the protests escalated into an armed conflict, the opposition started using the term Shabiha to describe civilians they suspected of supporting Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government and clashing with pro-opposition demonstrators. The opposition blames

18330-623: The uprising. Initially, the NCC had several Kurdish political parties as members, but all except for the Democratic Union Party left in October 2011 to join the Kurdish National Council . Relations with other Syrian political opposition groups are generally poor. In 2011, the on-the-ground protest movement rejected the NCC in favour of the Syrian National Council (SNC). The Syrian Revolution General Commission ,

18471-494: The violent means are justifiable under Islamic Law for an end as great as returning the Islamic State "days of glory", and these means are often leading a victorious violent holy war ( Jihad ) against the West . A part of his writings which have influenced Islamists and terrorist organizations on the nature of The West, can be found in his book " The America that I Have Seen ", which he wrote immediately after returning to Egypt from

18612-443: The withdrawal of U.S. forces in northeast Syria, further complicating the operation The Syrian Democratic Forces and Iraqi military also supported the operation; Turkey said it coordinated with the US prior to the mission. A large portion of the governorate was retaken by government forces during the course of the 2019 offensive , which caused the displacement of nearly a million civilians, and subsequent 2020 offensive , which caused

18753-558: The works of Sayyid Qutb and adopted concepts of Al-Wala wal Bara from his writings. Maqdisi’s interpretation of Al-Wala wal Bara marked a distinct shift from traditional Salafi theology by introducing Takfiri principles to it. Adopting a binary world-view, Maqdisi excommunicated contemporary governments in the Muslim World and their collaborators as apostates. Salafi Jihadists also reject democracy as it contradicts their interpretation of Hakimiyya . Salafi Islamists , while supporting revolutions to topple authoritarian regimes, permit

18894-527: Was active in gaining control of territory in the Homs Governorate in Syria. By May 2013 the group was publicly collaborating with the Syrian Army and helping them to gain control of 60 percent of Al-Qusayr by May 14. In Lebanon, an increase in the funerals of Hezbollah fighters was reported, as well as the shelling of Hezbollah-controlled areas by Syrian rebels. According to independent analysts, by

19035-526: Was also broken. The 2014 Idlib offensive was a series of operations conducted by the rebels against the Syrian Government. The clashes were mostly concentrated around Khan Shaykhun and on the highway towards Maarrat al-Nu'man, and resulted in rebel victory. In the March Battle of Idlib (2015) , al-Nusra Front / Army of Conquest -led rebels retook Idlib city from government and Hezbollah forces. In

19176-462: Was appalled by what he perceived as loose sexual openness of American men and women. Qutb noted with disapproval the openly displayed sexuality of American women stating in the same influential book The America that I Have Seen : the American girl is well acquainted with her body's seductive capacity. She knows it lies in the face, and in expressive eyes, and thirsty lips. She knows seductiveness lies in

19317-561: Was followed by massive civilian chemical poisoning. The release of a toxic gas, which included sarin , or a similar substance, killed at least 74 people and injured more than 557, according to the Idlib health authority. The attack was the deadliest use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war since the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013. The United Nations , the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia , France, and Israel, as well as Human Rights Watch have attributed

19458-443: Was followed by the Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2012–April 2013) , in which the FSA took or regained control of Salqin , Armanaz , Harem , Sarmin, Darkush , Kafr Nabl , Maarrat al-Nu'man and Taftanaz, while government forces maintained control over Jisr ash-Shugur , Fu'ah , Idlib city, Abu al-Duhur airbase and Khan Shaykhun and recaptured Ariha. The Siege of Wadi Deif military base from October 2012 through April 2013

19599-556: Was found by the Iraqi fighter Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , and had an estimated 7,000 fighters in Syria, including many non-Syrians, by the end of 2013. IS was originally affiliated with al-Qaeda , until al-Qaeda officially severed ties with the group in early 2014. The group gathered international attention for its gruesome abuses of human rights and for not tolerating non-Islamist militia groups, foreign journalists or aid workers, whose members it has expelled, imprisoned, or executed. Just across

19740-477: Was in charge of Syrian President Assad's security portfolio and oversaw the arming and training of thousands of pro-government Shi'ite fighters. By 2015, 328 IRGC troops, including several commanders, had reportedly been killed in the Syrian civil war since it began. As of 2024, the estimated number of Iranian troops in Syria is 1500. Besides training and sending troops, Iran has also recruited Shia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight on behalf of

19881-418: Was thought to have approximately 10,000 operatives in Syria. But according to Jubin Goodarzi, assistant professor and researcher at Webster University , Iran aided Baathist Syria with a limited number of deployed units and personnel, "at most in the hundreds ... and not in the thousands as opposition sources claimed". Lebanese Hezbollah fighters backed by Tehran have taken direct combat roles since 2012. In

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