Liwa al-Islam
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Essam al-Buwaydhani (2015–present)
17,000–25,000
(May 2015)
Jaysh al-Islam (Arabic: جيش الإسلام, meaning Army of Islam), formerly known as Liwa al-Islam (Brigade of Islam), is a coalition of Islamist and Salafist units involved in the Syrian Civil War. Its primary base of operations has been the Damascus area, particularly the city of Douma and region of Eastern Ghouta. Jaysh al-Islam is the largest rebel faction in the area, as was Liwa al-Islam. The group was a part of the Islamic Front. The organization has rejected membership of the Free Syrian Army. The group along with Ahrar ash-Sham are the main rebel groups supported by Saudi Arabia. The group aims to create an Islamic state under Sharia law.
Liwa al-Islam was established by Zahran Alloush, the son of Saudi-based religious scholar Abdullah Mohammed Alloush, after Syrian authorities released him from prison in mid-2011, where he had been serving time for his Salafist activism. The group claimed responsibility for carrying out the July 2012 Damascus bombing that killed Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, Deputy Defense Minister Asef Shawkat, and Assistant Vice President Hassan Turkmani. Liwa al-Islam was a driving force behind actions in the Damascus region. It cooperated and conducted joint operations with the Al-Nusra Front.
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