Hurras al-Din

Hurras al-Din
Arabic: تنظيم حراس الدين Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn
Flag of the group[1][2] Logo of the group
Leaders	Khalid al-Aruri † Abu Humam al-Shami Sami al-Oraydi
Foundation	27 February 2018
Dates of operation	27 February 2018–present
Active regions	Syria Idlib Governorate[3] Latakia Governorate[4] Iraq
Ideology	Salafi Jihadism Islamic fundamentalism Qutbism Anti-Zionism[5]
Size	1,000–2,000+[6]
Part of	al-Qaeda Alliance to Support Islam[7] Rouse the Believers Operations Room[8]
Allies	Turkistan Islamic Party[9] Tahrir al-Sham (Sometimes, until 2020)[10] Ansar al-Tawhid[11][better source needed] Ansar al-Islam Ansar al-Din Front Firqat al-Ghuraba Jaysh al-Izza[12] Naqshbandi Army[13]
Opponents	Syria Russia[14]  Iran  Israel  United States[15][16] Hezbollah Tahrir al-Sham (Sometimes, since 2020)[17]
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War 2018 Idlib demilitarization Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019) American-led intervention Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020) Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020)
Preceded by Al-Nusra Front

Tanzim Hurras al-Din (Arabic: تنظيم حراس الدين, romanized: Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn, lit. 'Guardians of Religion Organization') also known as Al-Qaeda in Syria,^[18] is a Salafi Jihadist organization fighting in the Syrian Civil War. The group's head, Abu Humam al-Shami was the general military commander of the defunct al-Nusra Front, and had fought for Al-Qaeda in 1990s Afghan civil war and the Iraqi insurgency.^[19][20] Hurras al-Din was established by the leaders of the AQ-affiliated Khorasan group and Al-Qaeda loyalists of Al-Nusra Front who opposed Jabhat Fatah al-Sham 's dissolution and merger with other Islamic groups to form Tahrir al-Sham.^[21] Abu Humam Al-Shami announced the formation of Hurras al-Din on 27 February 2018.^{[22][23][24][25]}

Abu Jilibib Tubasi and Abu Khadija al-Urduni, members of the Guardians of Religion's shura council, left Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) in 2016 due to its disassociation from al-Qaeda and emphasis on local Syrian politics.^[26] In 2017, JFS officially disbanded and merged with Noor al-Deen al-Zenki, Liwa al-Haqq, Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna and elements of Ahrar al-Sham to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).^[27] Following a series of assassinations of HTS leaders in 2017; AQ leaders Abu Mussab al-Libi, Abu Julaybib al-Ordoni, and Sami al-Oraydi were arrested by HTS in November 2017,^[28][29] in an attempt to stave off the formation of another al-Qaeda affiliated group in Syria.^[27]

In November 2017, Jaysh al-Badia and Jaysh al-Malahim defected from HTS, pledging allegiance to Al-Qaeda and launched military operations to expand its influence in Idlib.^[9] This brought them into conflict with HTS, which was making efforts to unite Idlib under a civilian administration. HTS accused Al-Qaeda of undermining the Syrian revolution and responded by initiating an anti-AQ crackdown, arresting several leaders of Al-Qaeda Central.^[27][9] On 27 February 2018, Jaysh al-Badia, Jaysh al-Malahim and Jaysh al-Sahel united under the leadership of Abu Humam al-Shami to form Hurras al-Din; announcing its allegiance to Al-Qaeda. In a statement, Hurras al-Din called upon all Islamist factions to set aside differences and launch a co-ordinated military response in the wake of horrific atrocities of Assad regime during its Siege of Eastern Ghouta.^[30]

While the organization officially rejects infighting between other rebel groups, it has been entangled in armed conflict with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham since 2020.^[31] In 2019, Hurras al-Din was reported to be at its height of power, with around 2,500 armed fighters under its command. After its full-frontal conflict with HTS since 2020, it has suffered countless losses and has been subsequently expelled from Idlib. The group now mostly operate clandestinely in various parts of Syria; calling for operations against forces of the Ba'athist regime, Russia as well as against United States and its allies. It has also urged Palestinian Islamist groups to step up its insurgency against Israel to "liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque".^[5]