Fatah Halab

{{Short description|Joint operations room of rebel factions in the Syrian Civil War}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{more citations needed|date=November 2016}}

{{infobox war faction

|name=Conquest of Aleppo{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/syrias-coming-battle-aleppo-its-everybody-against-assad-isis-1955134 |title=Syria's coming battle for Aleppo: It's everybody against Assad and ISIS |first= Alessandria |last=Masi |date=26 April 2015 |work=International Business Times |accessdate=2 July 2015}}

|native_name= فتح حلب
Fatah Halab

|native_name_lang= ar

|war=the Syrian Civil War

|image=

|caption=

|active=26 April 2015 – 21 January 2017{{cite web|url=http://foreignpolicytalk.weebly.com/middle-east--north-africa/aleppo-city-operation |first=Derek |last=Bisaccio |title=Aleppo city operation |date=26 April 2015 |work=Foreign Policy Talk |access-date=2 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703195819/http://foreignpolicytalk.weebly.com/middle-east--north-africa/aleppo-city-operation |archive-date=3 July 2015 }} (in the Aleppo Governorate, until 1 December 2016 within southeastern Aleppo){{cite web|url=https://rfsmediaoffice.com/2016/11/01/%d9%81%d8%aa%d8%ad-%d8%ad%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b1%d9%82%d9%85-41/|title=فتح حلب بيان رقم -41|date=1 November 2016|publisher=|access-date=27 January 2017|archive-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216014454/https://rfsmediaoffice.com/2016/11/01/%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%85-41/|url-status=dead}}

|headquarters=Aleppo, Syria (until 1 December 2016)
Aleppo Governorate, Syria (from 1 December 2016)

|area=Aleppo Governorate, Syria (from 1 December 2016 they are no longer active in the city centre){{cite web|url=http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/5/11/syria-coming-together-to-fight-assad-in-aleppo|publisher=al-Araby al-Jadeed|accessdate=2 July 2015|date=8 May 2015|title=Syria: Coming together to fight Assad in Aleppo}}

|size= 8,000+ (16 October 2016){{cite web|url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2016-10-06-ML--Syria-The%20Latest/id-6f4e4ebe9ccb4ac587f3b9e9f015b9cb|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=15 October 2016|date=6 October 2016|title=The Latest: UN Syria envoy: Some 8,000 rebels left in Aleppo}}

|leaders= Major Yasser Abdul Rahim{{Cite web|url=https://rfsmediaoffice.com/en/2016/10/29/fatah-halab-aleppo/|title=Fatah Halab Chief Commander: Military Operation Ongoing To Control Entire Aleppo|work=Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office|date=29 October 2016}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

|partof=

|predecessor=Aleppo Liberation Operations Room

|successor=

|allies=

|opponents= *{{flagdeco|Syria|1980}} Syrian Armed Forces

  • {{flag|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
  • {{flagicon image|Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg}} Syrian Democratic Forces

|battles={{tree list}}

{{tree list/end}}

|groups=

}}

Fatah Halab ({{langx|ar|فتح حلب|Fataḥ Ḥalab|lit=Conquest of Aleppo}}), or Aleppo Conquest, was a joint operations room of Syrian rebel factions operating in and around Aleppo, Syria. Succeeding the Aleppo Liberation operations room, its establishment was announced on 26 April 2015. It stated that its aim was to conquer Aleppo City from Syrian government forces.{{sfn|Cafarella|Casagrande|2015|p=3}}

In an October 2015 publication, the Washington D.C.–based Institute for the Study of War considered Aleppo Conquest as one of the "powerbrokers" in Aleppo Governorate, being both "anti-regime" and "anti-ISIS."{{sfn|Cafarella|Casagrande|2015|p=3}}

Since the inter-rebel conflicts, defections and mergers which started in December 2016, Fatah Halab has become largely defunct.

Member groups

The operations room included both US-backed groups{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33373410 |title=Syria military resists major rebel assault in Aleppo |date=3 July 2015 |work=BBC News |accessdate=5 July 2015}} and Sunni Islamist groups. It included some groups which also participated in the Sunni Islamist Ansar al-Sharia operations room, but not others, such as al-Nusra Front.{{cite news |title=Al Nusrah Front, allies form new coalition for battle in Aleppo |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |url= http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/al-nusrah-front-new-coalition-aleppo.php |newspaper=The Long War Journal |date=3 July 2015 |accessdate=5 July 2015}} Previously al-Nusra coordinated with other groups through the Aleppo Operations Room.{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Obama Cuts Off Syrian Rebels' Cash |date=27 January 2015 |author=Jamie Dettmer |newspaper=The Daily Beast |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/27/exclusive-obama-cuts-funds-for-the-syrian-rebels-he-claims-to-support.html }}

Fatah Halab was originally established by seven major Sunni Islamist groups on 26 April 2015:{{cite web|url=https://www.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/60210|title=In the footsteps of Idlib .. factions announce the version of the Aleppo army "conquest"|work=Zaman al-Wasl|date=26 April 2015}}

The number of groups in Fatah Halab increased after its founding, and by 18 June 2015 there were 31 groups.{{cite web|url=http://archicivilians.com/2015/06/18/infographic-fatah-halab-military-operations-room-coalition-of-31-rebel-factions-syria/ |publisher=Archicivilians |access-date=2 July 2015 |date=18 June 2015 |title=Infographic: "Fatah Halab" military operations room – coalition of 31 rebel factions |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627062418/http://archicivilians.com/2015/06/18/infographic-fatah-halab-military-operations-room-coalition-of-31-rebel-factions-syria/ |archive-date=27 June 2015 }}

{{As of|October 2016}} there were around 8,000 fighters spread out over a myriad of groups of varying sized. The following were the largest groups that participate in the operations room.{{harvnb|Cafarella|Casagrande|2015|pp=8–14}}{{cite web|url=http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2016-10-06-ML--Syria-The%20Latest/id-6f4e4ebe9ccb4ac587f3b9e9f015b9cb|title=Associated Press|first=AP|last=Story|publisher=}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

  • Ahrar al-Sham
  • Army of Islam
  • Levant Revolutionaries Battalions{{cite web|url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/2017/01/syrian-rebel-mergers-a-harakat-nour-al-din-al|title=Syrian Rebel Mergers: A Harakat Nour Al-Din Al-Zinki Perspective|first=Aymenn Jawad|last=Al-Tamimi|publisher=}}
  • Banners of Islam Movement
  • Sham Legion
  • Authenticity and Development Front
  • Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (until October 2016){{cite web|url=http://civilwaralsham.com/home/harakat-nour-al-din-al-zenki|title=Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki|work=Civil War al-Sham|date=17 October 2016|access-date=6 November 2016|archive-date=6 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106185227/http://civilwaralsham.com/home/harakat-nour-al-din-al-zenki|url-status=dead}}
  • Liwa al-Haqq
  • Jaysh al-Sunna
  • Levant Front
  • Army of Mujahideen
  • Atarib Martyrs Brigade
  • Free Idlib Army
  • Mountain Hawks Brigade
  • Northern Division
  • 13th Division
  • Army of Glory
  • Army of Victory{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=230ab-28hls|title=جيش النصر -- استهداف معاقل قوات النظام بقذائف الدبابات في جمعية الزهراء بمدينة حلب|last=جيش النصر|date=5 May 2016|publisher=|via=YouTube}}
  • Jaysh al-Nukhba{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aI3yAmNGW1vLpJCOrhiVLqpUUIX9PG1RNsCqJGGfhxI/edit|title=Syrian Civil War factions|publisher=}}
  • 46th Division
  • 101st Infantry Division
  • 23rd Division (formerly the 16th Division)
  • Sultan Murad Division
  • Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror Brigade
  • Fastaqim Union (mostly defunct since November 2016)
  • Conquest Brigade
  • Criterion Brigades
  • Central Division
  • Sword of God Brigade{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/syrian-opposition-groups-infographics-updates-19c1f20d06d6|title=Syrian Opposition group infographics [updates]|first=Cody|last=Roche|date=17 November 2016|publisher=|access-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215174725/https://medium.com/@badly_xeroxed/syrian-opposition-groups-infographics-updates-19c1f20d06d6|archive-date=15 December 2016|url-status=dead}}
  • 1st Regiment
  • Elite Islamic Battalions{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOPpVXv9qZQ|title=فتح حلب-- أكثر من 100 قتيل لعصابات الأسد بمحيط قرية معرستة لمحاولتهم اقتحام القرية وتصدي الثوار لهم.|last=فرقة الصفوة|date=3 February 2016|publisher=|via=YouTube}}
  • Islamic Freedom Brigade
  • Dawn of Caliphate Battalions
  • Bayan Movement

{{div col end}}

File:Major Yasser Abdul Rahim.png in Aleppo, coordinate an attack on YPG positions in Aleppo, 2 October 2015.]]

War crimes

{{see also|Human rights violations during the Syrian Civil War#Free Syrian Army and other armed opposition fighters}}

On 13 May 2016, Amnesty International accused the Fatah Halab coalition of "repeated indiscriminate attacks that may amount to war crimes". It also reported their alleged use of chemical weapons.{{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-armed-opposition-group-committing-war-crimes-aleppo-new-evidence |title=Syria: armed opposition group committing war crimes in Aleppo - new evidence|date=13 May 2016 |work=Amnesty International UK |accessdate=16 May 2016}}

A United Nations report in February 2017 came to the conclusion that during the siege of Eastern Aleppo Fatah Halab, after vowing to take revenge on Kurds in Sheikh Maqsoud, intentionally attacked civilian inhabited neighbourhoods of the Kurdish enclave, killing and maiming dozens of civilians, and that these acts constitute the war crime of directing attacks against a civilian population.{{cite web|url=https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G17/026/63/pdf/G1702663.pdf?OpenElement|title=Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic|publisher=United Nations|date=2 February 2017|accessdate=1 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2017/03/un-says-syrian-rebel-shelling-of-kurds-a-war-crime/|title=UN says Syrian rebel shelling of Kurds 'a war crime'|publisher=ARA News|date=2 March 2017|accessdate=2 March 2017|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303044846/http://aranews.net/2017/03/un-says-syrian-rebel-shelling-of-kurds-a-war-crime/|url-status=dead}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

=Sources=

  • {{cite journal |ref={{harvid|Cafarella|Casagrande|2015}}

|author1=Jennifer Cafarella |author2=Genevieve Casagrande |title=Syrian Opposition Guide |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |series=Backgrounder |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Syrian%20Opposition%20Guide_0.pdf |date=7 October 2015}}

{{Syrian Civil War}}

Category:Anti-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war

Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Syria

Category:Operations rooms of the Syrian civil war

Category:Aleppo Governorate in the Syrian civil war