Idlib Martyrs' Brigade

The Idlib Martyrs' Brigade (Arabic: لواء شهداء إدلب‎, Liwa Shuhada Idlib) was an armed rebel group that fought against the Syrian government in the Idlib Governorate of Syria.[6] It first operated under the name Syrian Liberation Army (Arabic: جيش التحرير السوري‎), but had renamed itself by the end of April 2012.[3] It was a loose coalition of localized forces, mostly composed of armed Syrian civilians who joined the uprising.[7]

Idlib Martyrs' Brigade
لواء شهداء إدلب
Liwa Shuhada’ Idlib
Participant in Syrian civil war
Commanders of the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade, led by Basil Eissa (front), during their formation announcement on 29 April 2012
ActiveEarly 2012 – 2014 (defunct)
Group(s)
  • Shield of Islam Battalion
  • Sword of Justice Battalion
  • Osama bin Zeid Battalion
  • Abdullah Rahman Battalion
  • Martyrs Muhammad Qasim Battalion
Leaders
  • Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Nasif[1]
  • Mohannad Eissa[2]
  • Basil Eissa  †[3]
Area of operationsIdlib Governorate, Syria
Size~900[1]
Part ofFree Syrian Army[4] Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades (2012–13)
Allies
Opponent(s)
Battles and war(s)Syrian Civil War

History

The group was based in Idlib Governorate and was primarily concerned with trying to expel government forces from the governorate, with the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade claiming that they, and not the better equipped Free Syrian Army, are doing the majority of the fighting in Idlib province.[8] The brigade only appears to be active in Idlib province.[4]

One of the group's primary problems was the fact that it was incredibly difficult for it to secure weapons and ammunition. This in turn severely hampered its recruitment and its ability to carry out attacks on Syrian government forces.[9] The group has claimed that up to 7,100 people were ready to join the group but were prevented from doing so due to lack of weaponry and equipment. This shortage resulted in the group placing greater emphasis on roadside bombings using cheaper, homemade bombs, to fight the government.[10]

The group also refused to abide by the Kofi Annan brokered ceasefire with Haitham Qudeimati, the group's spokesman, stating that any lull in the fighting on their part would only be due to a lack of weaponry.[11]

On 5 November 2012, the head of the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade, Basil Eissa, along with at least 20 other rebels were killed in an airstrike by the Syrian Air Force.[12]

On 9 December 2013, the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade alongside 13 other rebel groups formed the Syrian Revolutionaries Front.[2] In September 2014 conflict erupted between the SRF and the al-Nusra Front in the Idlib Governorate. A number of fighters from the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade were killed in the fighting.[13]

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See also
  • List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

References
  1. "Syria's Secular Rebels, Now Unified Under a New Banner". Syria Deeply. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  2. Lund, Aron (13 December 2013). "The Syria Revolutionaries' Front". Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  3. "2012 in Syria's civil war: One rebel's story". CBS News. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. "Syria's Armed Opposition: A Brief Overview". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  5. "Syria army shells Homs and northern towns in Idlib". BBC News. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  6. "Syrian rebels desperate for weapons". CBS. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  7. "Syrian rebels are losing faith in the West". The Telegraph. London. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  8. Sengupta, Kim (8 March 2012). "United against a common enemy? Syria's breakaway factions". Independent. London. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  9. "Syrian Rebels Plot Their Next Moves: A TIME Exclusive". Time. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  10. Solomon, Erika (30 April 2012). "Outgunned Syria rebels make shift to bombs". Reuters. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  11. "Rebel rivalry and suspicions threaten Syria revolt". Reuters. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  12. Karouny, Mariam (5 November 2012). "Air strike kills 20 rebels in Syria: Observatory". Reuters. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  13. "Renewed clashes between the "martyrs of Idlib" and "victory" Brief Idlib". Zaman al-Wasl. 14 September 2014.


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