Jaish alfatah, the free syrian army, and the southern front. The structure and organization of the syrian opposition. May 14, 20 the free syrian army, or fsa, is the largest group within the syrian armed opposition. The free syrian army fsa is now engaged in combat in at least six of the countrys fourteen governorates. According to general mustafa alsheikh, one of the most senior defectors, however, in january 2012 the syrian forces were estimated at 280,000 including conscripts. The free syrian army institute for the study of war. The free syrian army fsa, the armed opposition group that has emerged to confront the asad regime, appears to be gaining in strength and effectiveness, and damascus now faces both peaceful and armed resistance. Turkey shelters antiassad group, the free syrian army the. Desertion from the syrian army increased as individual soldiers and small units refused to obey orders to shoot unarmed demonstrators or simply decided to abandon the regime. So far, the fsa has proven resilient in the face of regime measures to.
The free syrian army fsa is a loose faction in the syrian civil war founded on 29 july 2011. Turkey shelters antiassad group, the free syrian army. The implications of the syrian war for new regional orders. March 20 elizabeth obagy middle east security report. Oct 01, 2015 a fighter from the free syrian army fired his weapon at the forces of syrias president bashar alassad in jobar, a suburb of damascus, syria, july 27, 2015.
Although numerous armed factions that were active across syria soon adopted the name free syrian army, there was no unified organization. October 27, 2011 turkeys support of the free syrian army, an armed opposition group, comes amid a broader turkish campaign to undermine president bashar alassads government in syria. Although numerous armed factions that were active across syria soon. The free syrian army bleeds the assad regime jeffrey white january 27, 2012 the growing free syrian army, the armed wing of the popular rebellion, is playing an increasing role in determining the assad regimes future. Its banner was soon adopted by armed groups that began appearing across the country.
Dec, 20 the free syrian army fsa was formed in august 2011 by army deserters based in turkey, led by col riad alasaad. Trt worlds alican ayanlar has more from gaziantep, on the turkeysyria border. Free syrian army, the syrian liberation front, the syrian islamic front. The free syrian army began with a core group of senior officers who defected from the syrian army and recruited thousands of soldiers and civilians. A formal organization at its founding, its structure gradually dissipated by late 2012, and the fsa.
In march 2011 antigovernment protests broke out in syria, inspired by a wave of similar demonstrations elsewhere in the middle east and north africa that had begun in december 2010. A fighter from the free syrian army fired his weapon at the forces of syrias president bashar alassad in jobar, a suburb of damascus, syria, july 27, 2015. Stability operations in syria army university press. Arabi assuri, is the land force branch of the syrian armed forces.
How to rescue the syrian peace plan february 6, 2012. With the creation of the new force, the regime is attempting to address two major issues. The coalition of organizations gathered around the free syrian army fsa, which are primarily. Aleppo numerous factions including free syrian army, southern front forces, army of islam, and kurdish forces. Alnusrah front is an alqaeda aligned extremist group. A member of the free syrian army stands guard at a checkpoint after clashes with progovernment forces in. Further, even if president assads government were to suffer significant military reversals, units like the ndf have the potential to outlive the government, at least in some form. A free syrian army fighter carries his weapon as he smokes a cigarette near the frontline of otaiba, in alghouta region in the eastern rural suburbs of damascus, august 15, 20. Jul 20, 2012 defected soldiers formed free syrian army antigovernment forces in syria known as the free syrian army have gained ground against the regime of president bashar assad. The group was founded by colonel riad alasad, a former syrian air force officer who defected in july 2011. The following months saw increasing defections of syrian army officers, which eventually led to the establishment of the free syrian army fsa, under the command of defected col. How to rescue the syrian peace plan financial times february 6, 2012 on saturday russia and china put their cards on the table.
The group has announced the formation of 12 battalions around the. Oct 28, 2011 october 27, 2011 turkeys support of the free syrian army, an armed opposition group, comes amid a broader turkish campaign to undermine president bashar alassads government in syria. A bomb blast deep inside central damascus had just taken out four senior. The free syrian army fsa has evolved signifi cantly since its emergence in the summer of 2011. There are nonetheless signs that the free syrian army is expanding and organizing as reports of violent encounters increase.
Formation of alnusra front jabhat alnusra, a syrian affiliate of alqaeda, is announced. The free syrian army fsa and informal groups soon countered the brutal violence of the security forces. This study examines the most prominent formations of the. May 31, 2017 the usbacked free syrian army has been fighting syrian regime forces and some of its allies in southeastern syria.
Christians are in rebel formations, the rebels are over. Apr 14, 2017 the remaining 10 were said to be fighters belonging to the independent free syrian army brigade known as jaysh alsunnah. In 2012, the conflict became more violent, as the syrian government attacked opposition groups with fixed. Although peaceful protesters still take to the streets by the thousands, the phenomenon that is the free syrian army fsa is, short of a palace coup, becoming the main actor in a revolution that is growing nastier by the day. It was form ed by the defected of ficers of the syrian armed forces. Free syrian army syrian liberation front syrian islamic front independent brigade alliances approximately 9 brigade alliances jabhat alnusra independent battalions. Browse the independents complete collection of articles and commentary on free syrian army. Jan 11, 2017 the formation of the fifth corps and its unprecedented army recruitment tactics highlight the complexity of the regimes military situation in syria. In a television interview in november 2011, president alassad mentioned the loss of 800 lives on the side of government forces. The free syrian army fsa is an armed opposition organization conducting. Insurgency timeline edit during the june 2011 jisr ashshugur operation, the syrian army claimed to have begun a crackdown on terrorists between june 4 and june 12, which left 120140 security personnel dead. The remaining 10 were said to be fighters belonging to the independent free syrian army brigade known as jaysh alsunnah. He has a phd in electronic radars and speaks five languages, including english.
Free syrian army subgroups unite to form national army. Russias economy of force operation in syria relies on sea, air, special forces, and independent contractors, which left the bulk of the ground fighting to the syrian arab army and its iranianbacked hezbollah allies. The rebel free syrian army was created on july 29, 2011, marking the transition into armed insurgency. One of the brigades main bases was apparently destroyed. The regime, in turn, mounted a ferocious assault on the city of hama. Initially, the fsa was formed to defend civilians in locations where protests. Sep 25, 2011 there are nonetheless signs that the free syrian army is expanding and organizing as reports of violent encounters increase. In the summer of 2012, the leading commanders of the free syrian army fsa were confident that momentum was with them. The syrian army, officially the syrian arab army saa arabic. It is an umbrella group comprising small, ideologically moderate, and uncoordinated militias and battalions. A lack of unity has made cooperation and coordination difficult on the battlefield and has limited the effectiveness of rebel operations. The free syrian army fsa was formed in august 2011 by army deserters based in turkey, led by col riad alasaad. Since the creation of the free syria army fsa under the leadership of riad alasaad, commanders working from outside of.
The group aimed to overthrow the shiadominated government of iraq, believing that they would gain support in this from. Syria, code of conduct of the free syrian army how does law. Around 30 subgroups of the free syrian army fsa have unified under the banner of the countrys national army, the syrian interim government announced on. Syrian army colonel defects, forms free syrian army, asharq al. Some members of the free syrian army have stated that the organization does not have the resources to occupy and take control of territories, and instead relies primarily on hit and run attacks to prompt the syrian army into withdrawing. So far, the fsa has proven resilient in the face of regime measures to suppress it.
He proceeded to announce the formation of the free syrian army, and its intention to work. Defected soldiers formed free syrian army antigovernment forces in syria known as the free syrian army have gained ground against the regime of. Salim idris born 1957 is the former chief of staff of the supreme military council smc of the free syrian army, which is the main syrian armed opposition group. The free syrian army fsa is an armed opposition organization conducting operations in syria against bashar alasads baathist regime.
The groups formation was a reaction to regime brutality against peaceful mass protests. The free syrian army fsa was formed in august 2011 by army defectors intent on deposing assad. Arab league calls on bashar alassad to hand over power to his top deputy, and for the formation of a national unity govern ment and new syrian elections. Whenever we, the free syrian army, make advances against the regime, isis steps in fri 29 jan 2016 08. Turkishcontrolled, armed and funded jihadist groups rojava. The structure and organization of the syrian opposition center for. They vetoed the arab leagues plan for resolving the syrian crisis, a plan that asks president bashar alassad to step down in favour of his vicepresident, the formation of a unity government and free elections. Much more so than the regular army, they are grounded in their home communities. The free syrian army on the local level engages and ambushes the states shabiha militia and confronts the army during which it encourages defections.
Dec 31, 2017 around 30 subgroups of the free syrian army fsa have unified under the banner of the countrys national army, the syrian interim government announced on saturday. For all the talk of a unified free syrian army, the arab rebel movements are now deeply divided, and include large islamic extremist elements such as jabhat fatah alsham, ahrar alsham, fatah alislam, and jordanian salafijihadists. Jan 29, 2016 whenever we, the free syrian army, make advances against the regime, isis steps in fri 29 jan 2016 08. The us has labeled them a foreign terrorist organization, but has been critical in rebel o. Also in november 2011, the free syrian army or the website of france 24 estimated the syrian army at 200,000 troops. Identification of the nonprofessional territorial armed formations on. There have been countless massacres in suicidal frontal attacks, such as the horrendous saa syrian arab army loses in salma in 2012 attacking up hill against a dug in enemy, or the horrendous fsa free syrian army losses at alqusayr, where rebels launched a counter attack across open ground, unsupported, that was annihilated by mlrs mobile.
Syria is no longer sliding into war or staring at the abyss of warfare. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the most senior posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the combined. Insurgency timeline edit during the june 2011 jisr ashshugur operation, the syrian army claimed to have begun a crackdown on terrorists between june 4 and. Under saudi and qatari pressure to form a unified command, the fsa formed the supreme military. An east germantrained electronics professor, he was a general in the syrian army when he defected in. The free syrian army follows orders from turkey middle. The usbacked free syrian army has been fighting syrian regime forces and some of its allies in southeastern syria. Founded in 2006, clarion project is a nonprofit, educational organization providing a platform for human rights activists and for challenging islamic extremism through facts. Fragmentation and disorganization have plagued syrias armed opposition since peaceful protestors took up arms in december 2011 and began forming rebel groups under the umbrella of the free syrian army. Syrian army the sectarian aspect of the war in syria will grow even more pronounced. How the free syrian army became a largely criminal enterprise. Early insurgency phase of the syrian civil war wikipedia.
The free syrian army, or fsa, is the largest group within the syrian armed opposition. Emre peker and donna abunasr, syrian armed forces desertion said to surge to 60,000, bloomberg, march 15, 2012. A system of dispersed, authoritarian rule allowed successive regimes to wield power through local intermediates to either coopt or marginalize. Free syrian army the independent us latest news and. The syrian uprisings transformation to civil war is a result of the assads ruling practices, which embedded sectarianism in social relations. It was the great hope of the rebels, who believed that with sufficient funding and weapons from arab and western states it could bring down bashar assads army. A logic all its own russian operational art in the syrian. The free syrian army follows orders from turkey middle east. Syrias crisis and the global response council on foreign. Ultimately, even if the smc only serves as a mechanism for greater cooperation and coordination, it is a significant development in that it has united the efforts of rebel commanders across syria. Al jazeera reports that the free syrian army, a network of mostly former syrian military soldiers primarily focused on fighting the authoritarian regime of syrian dictator bashar alassad, has seen its power wane dramatically this year amid widespread desertions.
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