Jamal Maarouf (Arabic: جمال معروف) is a Syrian rebel leader who was one of the most powerful rebel leaders in northern Syria[1] during the earlier stages of the Syrian Civil War. He is the military chief of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and leader of the Syrian Martyrs' Brigade, both part of the Free Syrian Army.[2]

Jamal Maarouf
Born1975 (age 48–49)
NationalitySyrian
Known forLeader of the Syrian Martyrs' Brigade
Military career
AllegianceSyria FSA
(2011–present)
Service / branchSyria SRF
(December 2013-5 May 2015)
Years of service2011–?
Rank
Battles / warsSyrian Civil War

Biography

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Before the uprising against president Bashar al-Assad, Jamal Maarouf was a construction worker. He was one of the first to take up arms in the Idlib province against the Assad government.[2] Jamal Maarouf created the Syrian Martyrs' Brigade in December 2011 and later the Syria Revolutionaries Front, with funding by Saudi Arabia. The SRF was accused of corruption and of hoarding bread to raise prices in areas under its control, prompting the al-Nusra Front to attack it. Maarouf then fled to Turkey after his force was defeated by the al-Nusra Front in late 2014.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "The rise and ugly fall of a moderate Syrian rebel offers lessons for the West". The Washington Post. 2015-01-05. Archived from the original on 2022-10-28.
  2. ^ a b c "The Fall Of Jamal Maarouf, Symbol Of The Moderate Syrian Rebellion's Demise". World Crunch. 19 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.