Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas لواء أبو الفضل العباس | |
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Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas 2013 new logo & SSI | |
Leaders | Abu Ajeeb Abu Hajar (WIA) |
Dates of operation | 2012 - present |
Active regions | |
Ideology | Shia Islamism |
Allies | File:Flag of the National Defense Force.svg National Defense Force File:Kata'ib Hezbollah flag.svg Kata'ib Hezbollah[1] |
Opponents | |
Battles and wars |
Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas(Arabic:لواء أبو الفضل العباس) meaning Brigade of Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, also known as the al-Abbas brigade(Arabic:كتائب العباس,Kata'ib al-Abbas) is a mainly Shia Syrian militant group which operates throughout Syria. It is named after the nickname of Al-Abbas ibn Ali. The group rose in prominence in reaction to the desecration of various shrines, heritage sites and place of worship by rebels during the Syrian civil war and subsequently collaborated with the Syrian Army. Its role is largely defensive rather than offensive, largely in places of interest in Syria, such as the Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque, Al-Nuqtah Mosque and Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque, Hujr ibn Adi Mosque, Umayyad Mosque, Great Mosque of Aleppo, Nabi Habeel Mosque, Bab al-Saghir, Uwais al-Qarni Mosque, Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers, Ancient City of Bosra, and the surrounding areas.[3] In May and June 2013, Reuters reported a split had developed between al-Abbas brigade forces over finances and leadership which erupted into a gunbattle. Many non-Syrian members subsequently formed a different brigade.[4]
On 19 May 2014, fighters from the Nour al-Din al-Zanki Brigade claimed to have taken over the al-Abbas Brigade's regional headquarters in Aleppo.[5] As ISIS made significant gains in Iraq in mid 2014, the group was forced to return home to defend the faltering Shi'ite led government in Baghdad.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Syrian war widens Sunni-Shia schism as foreign jihadis join fight for shrines". The Guardian. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Shia militia arrive to defend shrines". CNN. 2 July 2014.
- ^ "NGO: Fierce clashes in Damascus district". AFP. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ^ "Iraqi Shi'ites flock to Assad's side as sectarian split widens". Reuters. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Hezbollah displacing Iraqi Shiite fighters in Syria". Ya Libnan. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.