Syrian Revolutionaries Front
The Syrian Revolutionaries Front (Arabic: جبهة ثوار سوريا, Jabhat Thowar Suriya, SRF, also translated Syrian Rebel Front[1]) was an alliance of 14 relatively moderate religious and some secular armed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, formed in December 2013, thus according to Arutz Sheva further sidelining the FSA and its leadership Supreme Military Council.[16] It was established as a response to the merger of Islamist Syrian rebels into the Islamic Front.[16]
Syrian Revolutionaries Front
- Jamal Maarouf (overall leader, northern branch)[1]
- Col. Afif Suleiman (Idlib commander, resigned July 2014)[2]
- Maj. Abu Osama al-Jolani (southern branch)[3]
- Brig. Gen. Yahya al-Abdi (63rd Southern Division)[4]
- Capt. Abu Hamza al-Naimi † (southern branch)[5]
Non-ideological (overall group)[2]
- Islamic democracy (majority of groups)
- Secularism (some groups)
Southern Front[7]
- Southern Alliance[8]
Saudi Arabia (until 2017)
Jordan (until 2018)
Qatar
Jaysh al-Islam
Army of Mujahideen (formerly)
Al-Nusra Front (sometimes)[9]
Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (formerly)[10]
United States (until July 2017)
Turkey (until 2015)
History[edit]
Northern branch[edit]
In December 2013, following initial clashes, the Islamic Front and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front agreed to reconcile.[17] The coalition was spearheaded by Jamal Maarouf, head of the Syrian Martyrs' Brigades, largest member group of the SRF based in Jabal Zawiya, Idlib Governorate.[18] The group has supported the Geneva II Middle East peace conference that is aimed at resolving the Syrian civil war.[18] The group received financial support from Saudi Arabia, while the United States has reportedly given the group only non-lethal aid like food, medicine and blankets, in part due to concerns over its involvement in smuggling and extortion.[19]
100 members of the SRF's Wolves of al-Ghab Brigade were killed in clashes with al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front near Jisr al-Shughur on 16 July 2014.[20]
In late October 2014 clashes erupted again between the SRF and al-Nusra in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of Idlib, over the following days, dozens of SRF fighters defected to Nusra and the group lost control of numerous villages as they withdrew their forces from the region.[21] Maarouf and some of his followers relocated to Turkey, however around half of his men in the region remained behind and accepted the change of control rather than fight.[19]
On 5 May 2015, some of the former members of the Hazzm Movement, the Syria Revolutionaries Front based in the north, Jabhat al-Akrad, the Dawn of Freedom Brigades and smaller FSA groups formed the Army of Revolutionaries.[22][23] Many of their northern members also dissolved into the Levant Front.
During the Turkish military intervention in Syria which started in late August 2016, some members of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the Hazm Movement in exile from Turkey crossed into Syria through Jarabulus.[24]