Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (Arabic: أنصار أبو بكر الصديق, lit. 'Partisans of Abu Bakr the Truthful') is a Sunni Islamist militant group active in the Syrian civil war.
| Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq | |
|---|---|
| أنصار أبو بكر الصديق | |
 | |
| Foundation | August 2020 |
| Active regions | Aleppo Governorate, Idlib Governorate, Hama Governorate |
| Ideology | Islamism Anti-Turkish sentiment Salafi jihadism |
| Allies | Other Salafi factions Pro-AQ groups IS (alleged) |
| Opponents |  Turkey SAA Russia SDF SNA HTS |
History
editThe group was founded in August 2020, by Islamists who were frustrated by how some Islamist rebel groups around Idlib tolerated Turkey. Many Islamists believed that a jihad against Turkish presence in northwest Syria was mandatory as they considered it an infidel occupation of Muslim lands that should be treated the same as Russian and Iranian presence in Syria. Their main ideologue was Khayal al-Manhaj. Their goal is to control the entirety of Syria and rule it with Sharia.[1][2] The group announced its formation with an attack on Turkish soldiers in the Jisr ash-Shughur countryside. They target the Assad regime as well. It is a Salafi group. From December 2020 to September 2021, they were extremely consistent in rampages against Turkish soldiers and bases.[3] Towards late 2021, the group attacked Turkish forces 19 more times while waging an insurgency against HTS.[4] Common techniques they used against Turkey included bombings and sniping.[5][6] HTS actively launched raids against the group.[7] Turkey described the group as a "terrorist group".[8] In October 2021, the HTS claimed to have arrested one of the group's leaders, although the group denied that the person was even one of their members. On the Friday after the arrest, the group bombed a Turkish army vehicle, killing two soldiers, injuring three Turkish civilians, and three Sham Legion members.[9] The group participated in meetings between small Salafi factions. They were also in talks with the Islamic State, in which IS supported the group in their fight against Turkey and Turkish-backed factions. Abu Osama al-Azeri, an IS representative, suggested the establishment of an alliance between the two groups against Turkey.[10] HTS attempts at cracking down on the group continued in 2022.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Obscure Islamist Group Targets Turkish Military in Northwest Syria". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "من البداية إلى النهاية.. القصة الكاملة لـ سرية "أنصار أبي بكر الصديق"". تلفزيون سوريا (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ Editör (2021-09-12). "Ensar Ebu Bekir es-Sıddık Seriyyesi: İdlib'de Türk Askerine Saldıran Örgüt". Stratejik Ortak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ مراد, مروان (2021-10-24). "ما هوية "السرية" التي نفذت 19 هجوماً ضد القوات التركية في إدلب؟". السورية نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ publish2 (2021-05-12). "Group claims responsibility for targeting Turkish convoy in Syria's Idlib - North press agency". Retrieved 2024-05-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Hugo (2021-01-18). "Group Claims Responsibility for Targeting Turkish Forces in Idleb". The Syrian Observer. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ ""الأمن العام" يشرح تفاصيل القبض على "سرية أنصار أبي بكر" في إدلب". عنب بلدي (in Arabic). 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Tek hedefi Türk Ordusu... Kim bu örgüt?". VeryansınTV (in Turkish). 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "سرية "أنصار أبو بكر" الفكر جهادي والهدف الجيش التركي ؟!". October 16, 2021.
- ^ "Contact between the Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Squadron and the Islamic State (2021)". The Islamic State Archives. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "HTS arrests members of little-known Syrian group behind attacks against Turkish army in Idlib". 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2024-05-18.