Hazzm Movement

{{see also|al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict}}

File:Hazzm Movement convoy in Mare'.jpg on 18 August 2014.]]

In late 2013 the former Supreme Military Council chief of staff Salim Idris planned to form the Hazzm Movement in response him being sacked as the chief of staff. The Hazzm Movement was established on 25 January 2014 when 12 small rebel factions merged. Several of the factions had been part of the Farouq Brigades. The groups that became the Army of Mujahedeen were originally going to join the Hazzm Movement.{{cite web|url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/19874|title=Harakat Hazm: America's new favorite jihadist group|publisher=Al Akhbar|date=25 May 2014|accessdate=14 September 2014}} The previous incarnation of the group, called Harakat Zaman Mohamed (The movement of the time of Muhammad), was supported by the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria.

The group was supplied with BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles{{cite web |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-lister/american-anti-tank-weapon_b_5119255.html |title=American anti-tank weapons appear in Syrian rebel hands |first=Charles |last=Lister |work=Huffington Post |date=9 June 2014 |edition=Updated |accessdate=27 September 2015}} in a covert CIA program launched in 2014. Scores of the group's fighters also received U.S. military training in Qatar under the same program.

In October 2014, the al-Nusra Front began attacking positions of the Hazzm Movement in the Idlib Governorate, overrunning bases and seizing weapon stores, due to its perceived closeness to the United States.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-backed-syria-rebels-routed-by-fighters-linked-to-al-qaeda/2014/11/02/7a8b1351-8fb7-4f7e-a477-66ec0a0aaf34_story.html|title=U.S.-backed Syria rebels routed by fighters linked to al-Qaeda|date=2 November 2014|accessdate=9 February 2015|agency=Washington Post }} Following the loss of men and weapons to Nusra, the Idlib branch of Hazzm stopped receiving funds from the CIA in December 2014, funds to the Aleppo branch continued.{{cite news|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/12/09/249556_rebels-in-northern-syria-say-us.html?rh=1|title=Rebels in northern Syria say U.S. has stopped paying them|date=9 December 2014|accessdate=9 February 2015|agency=McClatchy Newspapers|quote=Those cut off include a larger group of Hazm fighters whom Nusra ousted from their bases in the Zawyah mountains in Idlib province in October|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209070350/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/12/09/249556_rebels-in-northern-syria-say-us.html?rh=1|archive-date=9 February 2015}} In January 2015, al-Nusra attacked Hazzm Movement positions in the Aleppo Governorate. The Hazzm Movement reacted by joining the Levant Front, a large alliance of prominent Aleppo-based Islamist rebel groups; the alliance urged al Nusra to resolve its dispute with the Hazzm Movement by negotiating with the Levant Front.{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-aleppo-idUKKBN0L408E20150131 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219193334/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-aleppo-idUKKBN0L408E20150131 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 19, 2015 |title=Western-backed rebels join Aleppo alliance - Syria monitor |date=31 January 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2015 |work=Reuters}}

On 3 May 2015, some of the former members of the northern branches of the Hazzm Movement, including the Atarib Martyrs Brigade, and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front along with Jabhat al-Akrad, the Dawn of Freedom Brigades main component group the Northern Sun Battalion (making the Dawn of Freedom Brigades defunct in the process) and smaller FSA groups formed the Army of Revolutionaries.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/archicivilians/status/594842226057814016|title=#Syria: Seven FSA groups (incl. Jabhat Akrad, Shams Shamal & Homs Revolutionary Union) form "The Revolutionary Army". |work=Twitter}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Syria_Rebel_Obs/status/594833226851610624|title=#SRO - EXCLUSIVE - Former Hazzm and #SRF forces allied with kurds and some #FSA small units to create Jaysh al-Thuwar (in 4 governorates).|work=Twitter}} Many of the northern members of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and Hazzm Movement also joined the Levant Front.

During the Turkish military intervention in Syria which started in late August 2016, some former members of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the Hazzm Movement in exile from Turkey crossed into Syria through Jarabulus.{{cite web|url=http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=592205|title=Threatens to exit "Arab factions" him: repercussions Turkish intervention shake Syria's alliance forces of democracy east of the Euphrates|work=Al-Quds al-Arabi|date=3 September 2016}}

In late December 2016, the Hazzm Movement, the SRF, and the Ansar Brigades in exile reportedly declared their intentions to return to Syria.{{Cite web|url=http://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/119683|title=Four factions that ended the "open-Sham" intend to return to the Syrian arena|work=Enab Baladi|date=16 December 2016}}{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/Syria_Rebel_Obs/status/813135865090371590|title=Syrian Rebellion Obs on Twitter|newspaper=Twitter|access-date=2016-12-26}}

The Hazzm Movement had a northern division, led by Murshid al-Khalid (Abu Mutasim), and a southern division led by Mohammed al-Dahik (Abu Hatem). The Secretary-General was Bilal Atar (Abu Abd al-Sham). Abdullah Awda (Abu Zeid) was in charge of military operations and Hamza Shamali (Abu Hashem) in charge of political affairs.

The 12 groups that merged on 25 January 2014 to form the Hazzm Movement were:

• Atarib Martyrs Brigade—reportedly the largest faction of the Hazzm Movement before its dissolution, based in Atarib
• 9th Special Forces Division of Aleppo
• Farouq of the North Battalion
• Ayman of God Brigade
• Abi Harith Battalion - Farouq Hama
• Free Salamiya Battalion - Farouq Hama
• Martyr Abdul Ghaffar Hamish Battalion
• Martyr Abdullahi Bukar Battalion
• Salt of the Right Company
• Abu Assad al-Nimr Battalion

Several other groups joined the Hazzm Movement at a later date.

The 9th Special Forces Division of Aleppo was a Syrian rebel group formerly affiliated with the Syria Revolutionaries Front and joined the Hazm Movement in January 2014.{{cite web|url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ctt0EIUW8AA9jNf.jpg:large|title=FSA - Ninth Division|work=Syrian Rebel Obs}} It was headed by Murshid al-Khaled (nom de guerre: Abu Mutasim).{{cite web|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=53910|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112130617/http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=53910|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 12, 2014|date=13 December 2013|accessdate=4 December 2014|title=The Syria Revolutionaries' Front|work=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace}}

Furthermore, the group was further composed of several additional subgroups before the merger:

• 1st Infantry Brigade
• 1st Armoured Brigade
• 60th Infantry Brigade
• Rocket Artillery Regiment
• Shahba Shield Brigade
• Ahbab Allah Brigade

• Timber Sycamore
• Syrian Train and Equip Program
• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

{{Reflist}}

• {{Twitter}} {{in lang|ar}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkW-mUVUAkBx6CptDA183UQ Hazzm Movement's YouTube Channel]

{{2011 Syrian uprising}}

Category:Anti-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war