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Khalid ibn al-Walid Army

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Not to be confused with Khalid ibn al-Walid Brigade.
Khalid ibn al-Walid Army
جيش خالد بن الوليد
LeadersAbu Hashim al-Hamawi
Abu Hashim al-Shami † (2016)[1]
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi † (2016–17)[2][3]
Mohammad al-Refai (2017–18)[3]
Dates of operation21 May 2016 – 31 July 2018 (As the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army)
July 2018 – Present (As Wilayat Hawran)
Group(s) Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade
Islamic Muthanna Movement
Jaysh al-Jihad
HeadquartersAl-Shajara, Daraa Governorate, Syria[3]
Active regionsDaraa Governorate and Quneitra Governorate, Syria
IdeologySalafi jihadism
Size1,900–2,400+ (in 2018)[4][5]
OpponentsNon-state opponents

State opponents

Battles and warsSyrian Civil War
Succeeded by
Wilayat Hawran ‌[9]

The Khalid ibn al-Walid Army (Arabic: جيش خالد بن الوليد Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Waleed) was an armed Salafi jihadist group active in southern Syria. It was formed by a merger of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, the Islamic Muthanna Movement, and the Army of Jihad on 21 May 2016. The faction controlled a strip of territory southeast of the Golan Heights, and was in conflict with other forces of the Syrian rebels. The group was defeated and lost all of its territory to the Syrian Government on 31 July 2018, with many members surrendering. Many captured members of the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army were executed on the same day.[1]

Ideology

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The Khalid ibn al-Walid Army is named after a medieval Muslim commander named Khalid ibn al-Walid who led jihad on several regions in and around Arabia. The Khalid ibn al-Walid Army enforced the Islamic State’s form of Sharia. In the small pocket the group controlled, its fighters forced women to wear niqabs and men to wear loose trousers and to grow long hair and beards. Since 2016, the group has executed more than 20 people, mostly in the town of Shajara, by beheading. The group had also locked smokers in cages and amputated people on allegations of theft.[10]

History

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The group was named after Khalid ibn al-Walid, who led the Muslim armies in the Battle of Yarmouk in 636 CE, which inflicted a heavy defeat on the Byzantine Army and led to the Muslim conquest of the Levant. The group was established as a branch of ISIL in southern Syria.

The date on the document declaring the establishment of the group is 14 Sha'aban 1437, corresponding to Saturday 21 May 2016 and is signed by Abu Hashim al-Shami (also known as Abu Hashim al-Hamawi), the emir of the group.[11]

On 14 August 2016, the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army launched a major attack against the Army of Conquest-held town of Hawd al-Yarmouk; however, despite heavy fighting and losses on both sides, no progress was made.[12][13]

In November 2016, the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army exchanged fire with an Israel Defence Force unit stationed in the Golan Heights, according to former Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon. According to Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, the reported apology "was deemed to be a misconception."[14]

The group launched another offensive against the rebels in February 2017.

On 3 July 2018, the group became involved in the 2018 Southern Syria offensive, after launching an attack on pro-government forces in Western Daraa. They were the suspected perpetrators of a coordinated series of attacks near As-Suwayda on July 25 that killed more than 250 people and injured scores more.

In September 2019, the group released photos of a captured Syrian government intelligence officer in Daraa and later executed him.[15][16]

On 5 November 2019, fighters from Wilayat Hawran released photos after the death of ISIL's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, pledging allegiance to his successor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.[17]

On 22 December 2019, Wilayat Hawran announced that its fighters managed to kill 2 Russian soldiers in the town of Nawa.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Far from Raqqa and Fallujah, Syria rebels open new front against ISIL in the south". The National. 29 May 2016.
  2. ^ "New reported leader for Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Waleed". 24 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Top ISIL leaders killed in southern Syria". The National. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  4. ^ Andrew Illingworth. "8,000 to 11,000 ISIS militants still present across Syria – estimates". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Over 400 rebels allegedly defect to ISIS in west Daraa". Al-Masdar. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  6. ^ Kershner, Isabel (27 November 2016). "Israel Defense Forces Kill 4 ISIS-Linked Attackers in Golan Heights". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. ^ "ISIS group expands in southern Syria near Israel border". 20 February 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Breaking: ISIS launches first attack on Syrian Army troops in west Daraa". 3 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-08-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "'Damn these times we live in': In a forgotten corner of Syria, Islamic State-inspired militia imposes 'brutal' rule". Syria:direct. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  11. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad. "Yarmouk Valley: The Formation of Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Waleed?". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. ^ Fadel, Leith (14 August 2016). "Intense clashes erupt in west Daraa as ISIS attempts to advance". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Clashes breakout between IS allied faction and rebels in Dar'a". SOHR. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  14. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (3 July 2017). Jonathan Spyer (ed.). "Arab Media: Israeli Bombardment Killed, Wounded Targets inside Syria". Rubin Center. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  15. ^ "Archived copy". pbs.twimg.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ "Archived copy". pbs.twimg.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "The Islamic State's Bayat Campaign".
  18. ^ "Archived copy". pbs.twimg.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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