Ghuraba al-Sham
{{about|the jihadist group|the other group|Ghuraba al-Sham (Syria)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{infobox war faction
| name = Ghuraba al-Sham
| native_name = غرباء الشام
| native_name_lang = Ar
| war = Iraq War, 2007 Lebanon conflict and Syrian civil war
| image =
| caption =
| active = 2003–2013
| ideology = Sunni Jihadism{{cite news|title=Jihadists eclipsing other rebels in Syria's Aleppo|url=https://dailynewsegypt.com/2012/12/06/jihadists-eclipsing-other-rebels-in-syrias-aleppo/|work=Daily News Egypt|date=6 December 2012|access-date=21 May 2014}}
| leaders = Mahmud al-Aghasi (2003–2007){{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7019253.stm|title=Radical Syrian cleric 'shot dead'|date=29 September 2007|work=BBC|access-date=21 May 2014}}
| groups =
| headquarters =
| area = Syria
Lebanon
Iraq{{cite news|title=Syria's Islamic Movement and the Current Uprising: Political Acquiescence, Quietism, and Dissent|url=https://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/4415/|publisher=Jadaliyya|date=21 February 2012|access-date=21 May 2014}}
| size =
| partof =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| allies = Al-Nusra Front{{cite news|url=https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/raging_clashes_pit_syrian_kurds_against_jihadists|title=Raging clashes pit Syrian Kurds against jihadists|last=AFP|date=18 January 2013|publisher=NOW|access-date=21 May 2014|archive-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206005807/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/raging_clashes_pit_syrian_kurds_against_jihadists|url-status=dead}}
(formerly){{cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/01/11/kurds-caught-in-the-crossfire-of-battles-for-northwestern-syria.html|title=Kurds Caught in Crossfire in Northwest Syria Battle|last=As-Safir|date=14 November 2012|publisher=Al Monitor|access-date=21 May 2014}}{{cite journal|last=McGregor|first=Andrew|date=October 2007|title=Controversial Syrian Preacher Abu al-Qaqa Gunned Down in Aleppo|journal=Terrorism Focus|volume=4|issue=33|access-date=21 May 2014|url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4481}}
Ahrar ash-Sham
Ahrar al-Jazeera{{cite news|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=55607|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703224231/http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=55607|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 July 2014|title=Arab Tribes Split Between Kurds And Jihadists|author=Carl Drott|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|date=15 May 2014|access-date=21 May 2014}}
| opponents = Syrian Armed Forces
People's Protection Units{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/22/251219.html|title=Jihadist rebels in standoff with Syria Kurds: NGO|agency=AFP/Reuters|date=22 November 2012|publisher=Al Arabiya|access-date=21 May 2014}}
| battles = Syrian civil war
Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon
}}
Ghuraba al-Sham ({{langx|ar|غرباء الشام}} Ghurabā' ash-Shām, "Strangers of the Levant ") was a group of jihadists of Turkish and former Eastern bloc origin who smuggled foreign fighters to Iraq, intervened in Lebanon during the 2007 Lebanon conflict, and fought in Syria during the Syrian civil war. The group coordinated with Al-Nusra Front in clashes with the People's Protection Units during the Battle of Ras al-Ayn in November 2012 and in January 2013.{{cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/syria/heavy-casualties-as-huge-blast-hit-aleppo-1.1134146 |title=Heavy casualties as huge blast hit Aleppo |last=AFP/Reuters |date=18 January 2013 |publisher=Reuters and AFP |access-date=21 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522002855/http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/syria/heavy-casualties-as-huge-blast-hit-aleppo-1.1134146 |archive-date=22 May 2014 }} The group apparently shut down or disappeared in 2014.
Structure
The group was founded by Aleppo preacher Mahmud al-Aghasi, who was also known as Abu al-Qaqa. He was often accused by Syrian opposition parties of working for the Mukhabarat and during the 2007 Lebanon conflict he was known as the Godfather of Fatah al-Islam. The group was widely believed by many Lebanese people to be smuggling fighters to Iraq during the Iraq War and later to the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp to help Fatah al-Islam under the alleged auspice of the Syrian government. Abu al-Qaqa was killed in Aleppo by a former prisoner who was held by Americans during the Iraq War on 28 September 2007. Members of the group were recruited in Syria and sent to Iraq to fight during the Iraq War.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Sister project links |commons=Category:Syrian Civil War (2011-present) |n=Category:2011 Syria anti-government protests |wikt=no |b=no |q=no |s=no |v=no |species=no |display=the Syrian civil war}}
{{Syrian civil war}}