Sham Legion

Sham Legion
فَيْلَق الشَّام
Flag of the Sham Legion Logo of the Sham Legion
Leaders	Commander-in-chief: Fadlallah al-Haji Leader (2014): Mondher Saras[1] Top commander: Col. Mohammad Bakkar †[2] Field commander: Zuheir Harba †[3] Senior commander: Feisal Balkash †[4] Field commander (2014–18): Maj. Yasser Abdul Rahim[5][6] Field commander: Khaldun Mador ("Abu Jamil")[6]
Dates of operation	10 March 2014 – 29 January 2025[1]
Active regions	Western and northern Syria Aleppo Governorate Idlib Governorate Hama Governorate Latakia Governorate Homs Governorate (2014–18)
Ideology	Sunni Islamism[1][7]
Size	4,000[8][9] (Russian military claim, December 2016) 8,500-10,000 fighters (2018 estimate)[10]
Part of	Syrian Revolutionary Command Council[11] (2014–15) Fatah Halab[12][better source needed] (2015–16) Army of Conquest[13] (2015–16) Northern Homs Countryside Operations Room[14] Mare' Operations Room[15] (2014–16) Hawar Kilis Operations Room (since 2016) Northern Hama Countryside Operations Room [16] Revolutionaries of Atarib (March–April 2018) National Front for Liberation (since May 2018)[17] Military Operations Command[18]
Allies	Free Syrian Army Army of Mujahideen Islamic Front[19] (2014–15) Ahrar al-Sham Tahrir al-Sham (sometimes)  Turkey
Opponents	Ba'athist Syria Islamic State[19] Syrian Democratic Forces Tahrir al-Sham (sometimes) Ahrar al-Sharqiya Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War Al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict Syrian Liberation Front–Tahrir al-Sham conflict[20] 2014 Idlib offensive Battle of Morek[1] Battle of Idlib (2015)[21] 2016 Aleppo summer campaign Operation Euphrates Shield Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018) Operation Olive Branch Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019) 2022 Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes Northwestern Syria clashes (December 2022 – November 2024) 2024 Syrian opposition offensives Battle of Aleppo (2024) 2024 Hama offensive Western Syria clashes (December 2024–present)
Preceded by Shields of the Revolution Council Civilian Protection Committee[22]

The Sham Legion (Arabic: فَيْلَق الشَّام, Faylaq al-Shām^[1] lit. Levant Legion) was an alliance of Sunni Islamist rebel groups formed in March 2014, during the Syrian Civil War.^[1] The alliance was formed from 19 different groups,^[23] some of which were previously affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria and the Shields of the Revolution Council.^[1][24]

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, which was held on 29 January 2025, most factions of the armed opposition, including the Sham Legion, announced their dissolution and were incorporated into the newly formed Ministry of Defense.^[25]