Kata'ib al-Safwa al-Islamiya
| Kata'ib al-Safwa al-Islamiya | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Ghassan Najjar Zaki Lawlah |
| Dates of operation | 2011-present |
| Split from | Liwa al-Tawhid |
| Merged into | Syrian National Army (2017) |
| Allegiance | Free Syrian Army (2011-2017) Syrian National Army (2017-2025) |
| Headquarters | Western Aleppo |
| Active regions | Aleppo Governorate, Hama Governorate, Idlib Governorate |
| Part of | Mare' Operations Room (2015) Fatah Halab (2015-2016) Hawar Kilis Operations Room (2016) |
| Opponents | Syrian Arab Army Islamic State Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (2017) |
Kata'ib al-Safwa al-Islamiya,[1] also known as Kata'ib al-Safwa,[2] and the al-Safwah Islamic Battalions was a rebel group formed in 2011 that fought in the Syrian civil war with the goal of overthrowing the Assad regime.
History
Kata'ib al-Safwa was founded in 2011.[3] They were initially integrated in Liwa al-Tawhid, but defected in October 2013.[4] KaS was affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.[5] In 2014, the group joined the Mare' Operations Room, the following year they joined Fatah Halab in Aleppo.[6][2] In 2016, KaS joined the Hawar Kilis Operations Room.[7] By 2016, the group was composed of the Minhaj al-Sunnah Battalions, Rijal Allah Battalion, Mecca Battalion, Al-Quwa Al-Muwahada Battalion, Yusuf Al-Halabi Battalion, Al-Ansari battalion, Omar Bin Abdulaziz Battalion, the Engineering Battalion and Saif Allah Battalion.[3] These groups reunited under the name of Kata'ib al-Safwa in October 2016.[3]
By October 2016, the group had 550 men, including 17 officers and 35 vehicles. The commander-in-chief was Ghassan Najjar (nom de guerre Abu Hussein Najjar).[3] Army defector Zaki Lawlah was part of KaS.[3] In 2015, a top leader Abu Mariam and the head of KaS's media Husam al-Najjar (Abu Yazan al-Halabi) were killed in an airstrike.[3] Kata'ib al-Safwa had connections to the American Central Intelligence Agency.[8]
Kata'ib al-Safwa predominantly fought in Aleppo and the surrounding countryside.[5][2] Between 2016 and 2017, KaS fought in Operation Euphrates Shield and the Battle of al-Bab, engaging in clashes against Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.[9] In March 2017, KaS fought in the 2017 Hama offensive.[10] Their headquarters in 2017 was in western Aleppo.[11]
In 2017, Kata'ib al-Safwa joined the Syrian National Army.[12]
References
- ^ Watson, Ben; Peniston, Bradley (2016-10-04). "Ceasefire talks suspended as Syrian forces hammer Aleppo; Solving America's natsec trilemma; The Army's new stealth truck; Bye-bye, A2/AD; and just a bit more". Defense One. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ a b c Hummel, Kristina (2016-04-22). "A Caliphate under Strain: The Documentary Evidence". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ a b c d e f "After the recent merger of FSA factions, commander of FSA's Al-Safwa Battalions explains: unity has become a necessity - المكتب الإعلامي لقوى الثورة السورية". rfsmediaoffice.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ S, T. (2013-10-31). "Tawhid Dismisses Battalions for Shariah Breaches - The Syrian Observer". Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ a b Katan, Hosam (February 16, 2016). "Syria's warring factions". Reuters. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ Mathieu, Luc. "Syrie : l'Armée de la conquête sur le chemin de Damas". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Rodier, Alain (November 4, 2016). "Turquie/Irak/Syrie : le président Erdogan se déchaine » Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement". French Center for Intelligence Research. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ Roche, Cody (2016-08-13). "Syrian Opposition Factions in the Syrian Civil War". bellingcat. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ amar (2017-02-03). "Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham raids headquarters of a Division of the "Euphrates Shield" operations - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Toumaj, Amir (2017-03-24). "Assad regime bolstered in Hama province by Iranian-controlled Iraqi militia". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Watson, Ben; Peniston, Bradley (2016-10-04). "Ceasefire talks suspended as Syrian forces hammer Aleppo; Solving America's natsec trilemma; The Army's new stealth truck; Bye-bye, A2/AD; and just a bit more". Defense One. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ "انفوغراف | فصائل الجيش الحر المشاركة في عملية غصن الزيتون | Nors For Studies". Nors For Studies (in Arabic). 2018-01-30. Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2025-12-17.