Hamza Division (Aleppo)

Hamza Division
Hamza Division
فرقة الحمزة‎; Furqat al-Hamza
	Official logo of the Hamza Division
Leaders	Brig. Gen. Sayf Balud ("Sayf Abu Bakr"); Lt. Abdullah Halawa; Abu Jalal; Hasan Abdullah Kulli Kurdish Falcons Brigade; Yasser Abu al-Sheikh †;
Dates of operation	2013–present
Group(s)	Hamza Brigade; Northern Thunder Brigade; Mare' Resistance Brigade; Special Operations Brigade; Dhi Qar Brigade; Kurdish Falcons Brigade; Former: 1st Brigade; 5th Brigade; 51st Brigade; Free Syria Brigade; Samarkand Brigade (former, part of the Syrian Turkmen Brigades);
Headquarters	Mare, Aleppo Governorate
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate
Size	2,200+ (self-claim, September 2017) 900 (February 2017);
Part of	Syrian National Army Syrian Front for Liberation; Hawar Kilis Operations Room;
Allies	Turkey; United States (until 2016); Azerbaijan; Al-Mu'tasim Brigade; Liwa Ahfad Saladin; Sultan Murad Division; Levant Front
Opponents	Islamic State; Syrian Democratic Forces; Syrian Arab Armed Forces; Libyan National Army; Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (since 2017); Ahrar al-Sharqiya; Ahrar al-Sham; Armenia; Artsakh
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13); Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016); Battle of al-Rai (August 2016); Operation Euphrates Shield Northern al-Bab offensive (September 2016); 2016 Dabiq offensive; Battle of al-Bab; ; Operation Olive Branch; 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria; October 2022 northern Aleppo clashes; Second Libyan Civil War (since 2020) 2019–20 Western Libya campaign; (alleged); 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
Flag
	Preceded by; Hamza Battalion

The al-Hamza Division (Arabic: فرقة الحمزة) is a Syrian rebel group in northwestern Syria affiliated with the Syrian National Army, trained and equipped by the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey as part of the Syrian Train and Equip Program. Formed in 2013, it cooperates with the Turkish Armed Forces in the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.

^ "Hamza Division: a new military formation to fight ISIL". El-Dorar. 23 April 2016.
^ "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs In Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b Rami Raj (25 September 2017). "Al-Hamzah Group (all partners): The opening of the military college is a step in the formation of the (National Army)". All4Syria.
^ ^a ^b "Al-Hamza Division to RFS". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b Suraj Sharma (16 February 2018). "Turkey sends 'Kurdish Falcon' force to Afrin to counter anti-Kurd image". Middle East Eye.
^ "FSA mourns the commander of the Hamza Battalion during the battle of Aleppo". Enab Baladi. 8 April 2016.
^ "470 FSA fighters killed in Euphrates Shield Operation". Kom News. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Reports Turkey is transferring Syrian militants to Azerbaijan as hostilities against Armenia increases". Greek City Times. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
^ Khaled Khatib (26 May 2017). "Aleppo: opposition to end "the Knights of the Revolution"". Al-Modon.
^ SOHR: 13,000 Pro-Turkey Mercenaries Arrive in Libya See.news, May 19, 2020
^ Russia says Islamist fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict pose threat to Moscow | Reuters

[saif-1] "Hamza Division: a new military formation to fight ISIL". El-Dorar. 23 April 2016.

[2] "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs In Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.

[college-3] Rami Raj (25 September 2017). "Al-Hamzah Group (all partners): The opening of the military college is a step in the formation of the (National Army)". All4Syria.

[rfs-4] "Al-Hamza Division to RFS". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2016.

[falcon-5] Suraj Sharma (16 February 2018). "Turkey sends 'Kurdish Falcon' force to Afrin to counter anti-Kurd image". Middle East Eye.

[6] "FSA mourns the commander of the Hamza Battalion during the battle of Aleppo". Enab Baladi. 8 April 2016.

[7] "470 FSA fighters killed in Euphrates Shield Operation". Kom News. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.

[Azerbaijan-8] "Reports Turkey is transferring Syrian militants to Azerbaijan as hostilities against Armenia increases". Greek City Times. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.

[9] Khaled Khatib (26 May 2017). "Aleppo: opposition to end "the Knights of the Revolution"". Al-Modon.

[sohr-10] SOHR: 13,000 Pro-Turkey Mercenaries Arrive in Libya See.news, May 19, 2020

[11] Russia says Islamist fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict pose threat to Moscow | Reuters

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Hamza Division
فرقة الحمزة‎ Furqat al-Hamza
Official logo of the Hamza Division
Leaders	Brig. Gen. Sayf Balud ("Sayf Abu Bakr")^[1]^[2] Lt. Abdullah Halawa^[3] Abu Jalal^[4] Hasan Abdullah Kulli Kurdish Falcons Brigade^[5] Yasser Abu al-Sheikh †^[6]
Dates of operation	2013–present
Group(s)	Hamza Brigade Northern Thunder Brigade Mare' Resistance Brigade Special Operations Brigade Dhi Qar Brigade Kurdish Falcons Brigade^[5] Former: 1st Brigade 5th Brigade 51st Brigade Free Syria Brigade^[4] Samarkand Brigade (former, part of the Syrian Turkmen Brigades)
Headquarters	Mare, Aleppo Governorate
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate
Size	2,200+ (self-claim, September 2017)^[3] 900 (February 2017)^[7]
Part of	Syrian National Army Syrian Front for Liberation Hawar Kilis Operations Room
Allies	Turkey United States (until 2016) Azerbaijan^[8] Al-Mu'tasim Brigade Liwa Ahfad Saladin Sultan Murad Division Levant Front
Opponents	Islamic State Syrian Democratic Forces Syrian Arab Armed Forces Libyan National Army Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (since 2017)^[9] Ahrar al-Sharqiya Ahrar al-Sham Armenia^[8] Artsakh^[8]
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13) Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016) Battle of al-Rai (August 2016) Operation Euphrates Shield Northern al-Bab offensive (September 2016) 2016 Dabiq offensive Battle of al-Bab Operation Olive Branch 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria October 2022 northern Aleppo clashes Second Libyan Civil War (since 2020)^[10] 2019–20 Western Libya campaign (alleged) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war^[8]^[11]
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Preceded by Hamza Battalion