Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya (Arabic: حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, translit. Ahrār al-Shām, lit. 'Islamic Movement of the Free People of the Levant'), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition of multiple Islamist and Salafist units that coalesced into a single brigade in order to fight against the Ba'athist government led by Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian Civil War.[32
The group along with Jaysh al-Islam are the main rebel groups supported by Turkey and Saudi Arabia.[44]
The group aims to create an Islamic state under Sharia law, and is openly allied with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the Al-Nusra Front) with which it carries out joint operations.[45][46] Syria, the United Arab Emirates,[47] Russia,[48] Iran and Egypt have designated Ahrar al-Sham as a terrorist organization.[49] Some U.S. officials have reportedly considered designating it as a terrorist organization because of its alleged links to al-Qaeda, while several European states have attempted small-level engagements with individual Ahrar al-Sham political officials in Turkey.[50] According to the U.S. Department of State, "Ahrar al-Sham is not a designated foreign terrorist organization".[51]
November 2014 meeting with al-Nusra Front
In early November 2014, representatives from Ahrar al-Sham reportedly attended a meeting with al-Nusra Front, the Khorasan Group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and Jund al-Aqsa, which sought to unite the groups against the Assad regime.[104] However, by 14 November 2014, it was reported that the negotiations had failed.[105]
March 2015 killing of Christians
The New York Times reported that the pro Al-Qaeda Saudi cleric Abdullah Al-Muhaisini ordered that Christians in Idlib were not to be killed, and that Christians were being defended by Ahrar al-Sham.[108][109] However, there were subsequent reports of Ahrar al-Sham executing Christians in the city.[110][111]
On 26 April 2015, Ahrar al-Sham, along with other major Aleppo based groups, established the Fatah Halab joint operations room.[15][112]
On 14 July 2015, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at an Ahrar al-Sham Movement headquarters killing Abu Abdul Rahman Salqeen (an Ahrar al-Sham leader) and 5-6 others in Idlib province.[113][114]
On 21 October 2015, the Jund al Malahim operations room was created as an alliance of Ajnad al Sham, Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Nusra in Rif Dimashq.[115]
May 2016 Zara'a massacre
On 12 May 2016, militants of the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham attacked and captured the Alawite village of Zara'a, Southern Hama Governorate.[119][120] 42 confirmed civilians and seven NDF militiamen were killed during the militant attack.[121] Around 70 civilians, including women and children were kidnapped and taken to Al-Rastan Plains.[119][122] Some of the captured were pro-government troops.[120] A number of houses were destroyed and local property was looted following the rebel capture of the village.[123]
Quelle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahrar_al-Sham