Junud al-Sham

Junud al-Sham
Junud al-Sham
جنود الشام
	Logo of Junud al-Sham
Leader	Muslim Shishani
Deputy emir	Abu Turab Shishani
Deputy emir	Abu Bakr al-Shishani
Dates of operation	2012 – 2021
Group(s)	Liwaa Usud al-Islam Artillery and Infantry Battalion (former)
Headquarters	Jisr al-Shughur
Active regions	Syria Aleppo Governorate; Latakia Governorate; Idlib Governorate; Hama Governorate;
Ideology	Sunni Islamism; Salafism
Size	70 (2021 estimate)
Allies	Ahrar al-Sham; Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham; Tarkhan's Jamaat; Group of the One and Only; Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Opponents	Syria; Iran; Russia; Syrian Resistance; Hezbollah; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Battle of Aleppo; 2013 Latakia offensive; 2014 Latakia offensive; Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015); Northwestern Syria offensive (October 2015); 2016 Hama offensive; Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018);

Junud al-Sham (Arabic: جنود الشام, romanized: Junūd ash-Shām, lit. 'Soldiers of the Levant'), sometimes also called Jund al-Sham,^[4] was initially a group of Chechen and Lebanese Sunni mujahideen that fought in the Syrian Civil War and was led by Muslim Shishani until its disbanding in 2021.

^ ^a ^b Steinberg, Guido (February 2016). "Junud al-Sham and the German Foreign Fighter Threat". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
^ "HTS and Muslim al-Shishani: What Happened?". Levant24. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
^ ""Jaish al-Hama" regional rebel merger pledges allegiance to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham". Conflict News. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Vatchagaev, Mairbek (1 October 2015). "Is Moscow Set to Target Russians Fighting Against Assad in Syria?". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b Halabi, Alaa (6 February 2014). "Syrian opposition groups fail to capture Aleppo prison". As-Safir. Translated by Rani Geha. Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Chechen al Qaeda commander, popular Saudi cleric, and an Ahrar al Sham leader spotted on front lines in Latakia". Long War Journal. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
^ Cite error: The named reference Sh2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Souleimanov, Emil (2 July 2014). "Split Among North Caucasian Fighters in Syria". The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
^ Paraszczuk, Joanna (29 January 2018). "Tarkhan's jamaat (Katiba abd ar-Rahman) fighting in Hama alongside Muslim Shishani". From Chechnya to Syria. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
^ "GUEST POST: The 4 Chechen Brigades In Jamaat Ahadun Ahad". From Chechnya To Syria. 16 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
^ Weiss, Caleb [@caleb_weiss7] (23 August 2015). "Abu Bakr al Shishani, Muslim Shishani's deputy in Junud al Sham, in the most recent Turkistan Islamic Party video" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2025 – via Twitter.
^ MEMRI Staff (18 December 2013). "Una mirada en profundidad a los combatientes chechenios en Siria, Parte II: Comandante Muslim (Junoud Al-Sham) Abu Al-Walid Al-Shishani". Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2025.
^ Weiss, Caleb (23 April 2015). "Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria involved in new Idlib offensive". Long War Journal. Retrieved 28 December 2024.

[ctc-1] Steinberg, Guido (February 2016). "Junud al-Sham and the German Foreign Fighter Threat". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 6 March 2025.

[l249july-2] "HTS and Muslim al-Shishani: What Happened?". Levant24. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2025.

[3] ""Jaish al-Hama" regional rebel merger pledges allegiance to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham". Conflict News. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.

[target-4] Vatchagaev, Mairbek (1 October 2015). "Is Moscow Set to Target Russians Fighting Against Assad in Syria?". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2025.

[aleppo-5] Halabi, Alaa (6 February 2014). "Syrian opposition groups fail to capture Aleppo prison". As-Safir. Translated by Rani Geha. Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2025.

[lwj27march-6] "Chechen al Qaeda commander, popular Saudi cleric, and an Ahrar al Sham leader spotted on front lines in Latakia". Long War Journal. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2025.

[Sh2021-7] Cite error: The named reference Sh2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[caci-8] Souleimanov, Emil (2 July 2014). "Split Among North Caucasian Fighters in Syria". The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst. Retrieved 6 April 2025.

[cis29jan-9] Paraszczuk, Joanna (29 January 2018). "Tarkhan's jamaat (Katiba abd ar-Rahman) fighting in Hama alongside Muslim Shishani". From Chechnya to Syria. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

[10] "GUEST POST: The 4 Chechen Brigades In Jamaat Ahadun Ahad". From Chechnya To Syria. 16 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2024.

[abubakr-11] Weiss, Caleb [@caleb_weiss7] (23 August 2015). "Abu Bakr al Shishani, Muslim Shishani's deputy in Junud al Sham, in the most recent Turkistan Islamic Party video" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2025 – via Twitter.

[12] MEMRI Staff (18 December 2013). "Una mirada en profundidad a los combatientes chechenios en Siria, Parte II: Comandante Muslim (Junoud Al-Sham) Abu Al-Walid Al-Shishani". Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 March 2025.

[lwj23april-13] Weiss, Caleb (23 April 2015). "Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria involved in new Idlib offensive". Long War Journal. Retrieved 28 December 2024.

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