Al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant

Al-Nusra Front
جبهة النصرة cosm Participant in the Syrian Civil War and the Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
Flag of the Al-Nusra Front (After July 2016)
Active	23 January 2012 – 28 January 2017
Ideology	Salafism Wahhabism Salafist jihadism (a form of Islamic fundamentalism)
Groups	See al-Nusra member groups
Leaders	Abu Mohammad al-Julani (top emir) Abu Abdullah al-Shami (senior member) Ahmad Salama Mabruk † (senior member) Abu Hajer al-Homsi † (top military commander) Abu Omar al-Turkistani † (top military commander)
Headquarters	Deir ez-Zor, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, (2012–14) Harem, Idlib Governorate, (February–November 2014) Salqin, Idlib Governorate, (November 2014–March 2015) Idlib, Idlib Governorate, Syria (March 2015–January 2017)
Area of operations	Syria (Primarily in Northwest Syria, around the Idlib and Aleppo Provinces)  Lebanon
Size	10,000-20,000
Part of	al-Qaeda Mujahideen Shura Council (2014–present) Army of Conquest (2015–17)
Originated as	Islamic State of Iraq
Became	Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham
Allies	Jund al-Aqsa Turkistan Islamic Party Caucasus Emirate Ajnad al-Kavkaz Malhama Tactical Ashida'a Mujahideen Brigade Ansar al-Din Front Ansar al-Islam
Opponents	State opponents  Syria  Lebanon  Iran  Russia  United States Non-state opponents Syrian Democratic Forces People's Protection Units Army of Revolutionaries Free Syrian Army Ahrar al-Sham Suqour al-Sham Brigade Shi'ite groups Hezbollah Kata'ib Hezbollah Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Al-Abbas brigade Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Islamic State and Islamic State affiliates Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade Jaysh al-Jihad Islamic Muthanna Movement
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Battle of Aleppo (2012–16) Siege of Nubl and Al-Zahraa 2013 Latakia offensive Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War 2014 Idlib offensive al-Nusra Front–Syria Revolutionaries Front conflict 2015 Idlib offensive Second Battle of Idlib Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya Battle of Bosra (2015) 2015 Jisr al-Shughur offensive Battle of Yarmouk Camp (2015) Qalamoun offensive (May 2015) Battle of Zabadani (2015) 2015 Hama Offensive Northern Aleppo offensive (2016) Idlib Governorate clashes (2017) Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Battle of Arsal (2014) Military intervention against ISIL American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in Syria

Salafism

State opponents

Non-state opponents

Shi'ite groups

Islamic State and Islamic State affiliates

Syrian Civil War

Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon

Military intervention against ISIL

Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra (Arabic: جبهة النصرة‎‎), known as the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Arabic: جبهة فتح الشام‎‎, transliteration: Jabhat Fataḥ al-Šām) after July 2016, and also described as al-Qaeda in Syria or al-Qaeda in the Levant, is a Salafist jihadist terrorist organization fighting against Syrian government forces in the Syrian Civil War, with the aim of establishing an Islamic state in the country. The group announced its formation on 23 January 2012.

The United States designated Jabhat al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization, followed by the United Nations Security Council and many other countries. It was the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda until July 2016, when it ostensibly split.

In early 2015, the group became one of the major components of the powerful jihadist joint operations room named the Army of Conquest, which took over large territories in Northwestern Syria. It also operates in neighbouring Lebanon. In November 2012, The Washington Post described al-Nusra as the most successful arm of the rebel forces.