Tahrir al-Sham Division
| Saraya Ahl al-Sham | |
|---|---|
|
سرايا أهل الشام Company of the People of the Levant Participant in the Syrian civil war |
|
| Active | 30 September 2015 – present |
| Leaders |
|
| Area of operations | Damascus Governorate |
| Allies | Al-Nusra Front |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | |
Saraya Ahl al-Sham (Arabic: سرايا أهل الشام, "Company of the People of the Levant") is a rebel alliance active during the Syrian Civil War. It was formed in 2015 and operates in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, mainly in the western Qalamoun Mountains along the Lebanon–Syria border.
In November 2014, Colonel Abdullah al-Rifai of the 11th Special Forces Division of the Free Syrian Army was arrested by the Lebanese Armed Forces near Arsal. He was detained by the General Directorate of General Security and released on 2 January 2015. On 14 August, he was assassinated in Arsal.
On 30 September 2015, Saraya Ahl al-Sham was formed by more than 13 FSA and Islamist rebel factions in the western Qalamoun Mountains. The group maintained "good" relations with al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front and other groups in the former Army of Conquest's Qalamoun branch.
In February 2016, it rejected the inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, remaining neutral in the conflict and stating that its only opponent is the Syrian government. However, during the eastern Qalamoun offensive (September—October 2016), the group joined with the other rebels in fighting ISIL.
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