Northern Division (Syrian rebel group)
| Northern Division | |
|---|---|
|
الفرقة الشمالية Participant in the Syrian Civil War | |
|
Flag of the Northern Division | |
| Active | December 2015-present[1] |
| Groups |
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| Leaders | |
| Area of operations | |
| Strength | 3,200[3][4] |
| Part of |
 Free Syrian Army Syrian Revolutionary Command Council Fatah HalabJaysh Halab  Mare' Operations RoomHawar Kilis Operations Room Rad al-Mazalem[5][6][7][8] |
| Allies | |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | |
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The Northern Division (Arabic: الفرقة الشمالية)is a Free Syrian Army group as the result of a merger between the Knights of Justice Brigade and the 101st Infantry Division.[1] Both units received BGM-71 TOW missiles from the United States.[4]
Member groups
101st Infantry Division
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The 101st Infantry Division (Arabic: الفرقة 101 مشاة) is a Syrian FSA group sanctioned by the Syrian National Council[2] and a part of the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council.[11] It received U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles and is funded by the Supreme Military Council.[2] It notably includes religious minorities in leadership positions.[12]
The 101st Infantry Division suspended its cooperation with the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front on 21 July 2014. On 7 September 2014, 101st Division allied with four other rebel groups, including the Knights of Justice Brigade, into a new formation called the 5th Corps.[12] On 6th May 2015, along with 13 other Aleppo-based groups, joined the Fatah Halab joint operations room.
Knights of Justice Brigade
The Knights of Justice Brigade (Arabic: لواء فرسان الحق, Liwa Fursan al-Haqq), is a FSA subgroup sanctioned by the SNC[2] and a part of the SRCC.[11] It had received BGM-71 TOW missiles[2] and funding from Qatar.[13] The group received funding, including salaries for its fighters, from the CIA, before being cutoff in December 2014 following battlefield reversals at the hands of the al-Nusra Front.[14]
The Brigade joined a "quick response unit" of 600 fighters alongside other moderate and jihadist groups on 8 July 2014, to fight the Syrian Army and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Aleppo.[15] It suspended its cooperation the al-Nusra Front on 21 July 2014.[16] On 7 September 2014, the Knights of Justice Brigade announced that they were allying their forces with four other rebel groups, including the 101st Division[12] and the 13th Division,[13] into the 5th Corps.[12]
Equipment
Small arms
Artillery and heavy missiles
| Name | Country of origin | Type | Caliber | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120-PM-43 mortar[17] |  Soviet Union | Mortar | 120mm | |
| 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)[17] | Soviet Union | Howitzer | 122mm | |
| 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)[17] | Soviet Union | Howitzer | 122mm | |
| 152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1)[17] | Soviet Union | Howitzer | 152mm | |
| BGM-71 TOW[17] |  United States | Wire-guided anti-tank missile | Supplied by the United States. |
Vehicles
| Name | Country of origin | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup truck[17] | Unknown | Technical | |
| T-54/55[17] | Soviet Union | Main battle tank | |
| BMP-1[17] | Soviet Union | Infantry fighting vehicle |
References
- 1 2 arabthomness (8 December 2015). "#Syria: Liwa Fursan al-Haqq and the 101st Infantry Division announce a merger to for Furqat al-Shamaliah (#FSA)" (Tweet).
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Exclusive Interview: Former MIG pilot recounts audacious defection, talks TOW missiles". Tahrir Souri. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- 1 2 "Don't underestimate Free Syrian Army". Al-Monitor. 1 October 2015.
- 1 2 "THE MODERATE REBELS: A GROWING LIST OF VETTED GROUPS FIELDING BGM-71 TOW ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES". Hasan Mustafas. 8 May 2015.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/status/721936076928114689
- ↑ https://twitter.com/Rd_Almzalm
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/rd.almzalm/
- ↑ https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/field-report-islamist-rebels-attack-syrian-army-hama-map-update/
- ↑ "Oppositions agree on 'big Aleppo operation'". Yeni Şafak. 3 April 2016.
- ↑ "In Syria, militias armed by the Pentagon fight those armed by the CIA". Los Angeles Times. 27 March 2016.
- 1 2 "EXCLUSIVE – 18 Syrian revolutionary factions advancing toward a One Army project". The Arab Chronicle. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 "Merger of Five Rebel Factions into the Fifth Corps". National Coalition of Syrian and Revolutionary Forces. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- 1 2 http://i.aksalser.com/news_pics/2014/09/07/968711577.jpg. Retrieved 18 September 2014. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "Rebels in northern Syria say U.S. has stopped paying them". McClatchy Newspapers. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
“In November we received all kinds of support including salaries. This month support stopped completely,” said Col. Fares Bayyoush, leader of the Fursan al Haqq Brigade in Kafr Nabel, a town about 20 miles south of the city of Idlib.
- ↑ "Syrian Military Preparing to Launch Offensive in Aleppo". Institute for the Study of War. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ↑ "Hazm Movement and Syrian Revolutionary Front: Suspending All Forms of Cooperation with Nusra". Democratic Revolution, Syrian Style. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "FSA Northern Division in action in the last couple of days in north rural #Hama, #Syria". Live UA Map/Youtube. 31 January 2016.
