Junud al-Sham

Muslim Shishani fought in the First Chechen War{{Cite web |title="Does it matter where one fights against Russians? Jihad is jihad, no matter the place" - Muslim al-Shishani |url=https://georgianjournal.ge/usa-news/28500-does-it-matter-where-one-fights-against-russians-jihad-is-jihad-no-matter-the-place-muslim-al-shishani.html |access-date=12 March 2025 |website=Georgian Journal |language=en|date=16 October 2014}} where he served as Ibn al-Khattab's aide.{{Cite web |last1=Lister |first1=Charles |date=8 September 2021 |title=Twenty Years After 9/11: The Fight for Supremacy in Northwest Syria and the Implications for Global Jihad |url=https://ctc.westpoint.edu/twenty-years-after-9-11-the-fight-for-supremacy-in-northwest-syria-and-the-implications-for-global-jihad/ |access-date=12 March 2025 |website=Combating Terrorism Center at West Point |language=en-US}} During the Second Chechen War he was in charge of multiple attacks against Russian Forces.{{cite web|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=21316|title=Muslim Shishani led attacks on Russian troops deploying to Ingushetia in 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509055650/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=26167|archive-date=9 May 2019|last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna|date=4 November 2018|work=From Chechnya to Syria|access-date=12 March 2025}} He also organised soldiers in Dagestan during the Insurgency in the North Caucasus.{{cite web|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=21316|title=Syria: Who is Muslim Abu Walid Shishani? Part One|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531144143/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=21316|archive-date=31 May 2014|last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna|date=26 March 2014|work=From Chechnya to Syria|access-date=12 March 2025}} According to an interview from 2013, Shishani planned to go to Chechnya after Dagestan, but was unable and instead went to Syria.

Shishani traveled to Syria in 2012 at the request of Syrians who needed help training. Initially, the group was known as "the Chechen group", though the name of the group was changed once other nationalities, including Lebanese militants, started to join.{{Cite web |title=Georgia is our homeland – Exclusive interview with Muslim al-Shishani a.k.a Murad Margoshvili |url=https://georgianjournal.ge/politics/35590-georgia-is-our-homeland-exclusive-interview-with-muslim-al-shishani-aka-murad-margoshvili.html |access-date=6 March 2025 |website=Georgian Journal |language=en|date=25 February 2019}} In total hundreds of foreign fighters were trained in its camps, including "European, Turkish and Caucasian" militants. A unit of around 30 Germans trained with the group as well. In the early stages of the civil war the group had close contact with both Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State.{{Cite web |title=The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529193743/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/NSQDi347E.shtml|archive-date=29 May 2015|url=http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/NSQDi347E.shtml |access-date=17 May 2025 |website=United Nations}}

The group took part in the 2013 Latakia offensive. During this offensive, Junud al-Sham captured numerous points including the strategic hilltop village of Durin, earning Shishani the nickname Sopka Durin meaning "Durin hilltop" in Russian. Sham Center, an outlet closely aligned with the group, released multiple videos. In one video Muslim talks about the capture of hilltop villages and the fact that they had 60 fighters allocated to the battle but eventually 40 took part in the battle.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC4N-9N3aGM |title=Сирия Латакия Сопка Дурин |date=4 September 2013 |last1=simpson|first1=gomer|access-date=30 March 2025 |via=YouTube}}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2025}} Sham Center also released another video in which it is said that six people were killed and another nine were wounded from Junud al-Sham. Muslim Shishani is said to be among the wounded.{{Cite web |date=20 August 2013 |title=ShamCenter - Operation: Jabal Akrad - Jabal Durin - Deutsch |url=http://shamcenter.info/news/149/15/ShamCenter-Operation-Jabal-Akrad-Jabal-Durin-Deutsch/d,detail-de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820122424/http://shamcenter.info/news/149/15/ShamCenter-Operation-Jabal-Akrad-Jabal-Durin-Deutsch/d,detail-de|archive-date=20 August 2013|access-date=30 March 2025 |website=Sham Center|lang=de}}{{Cite web |date=15 September 2013 |title=ShamCenter - Karawane der Schuhada Teil 1 - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtTPMmEel0|archive-date=15 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915074027/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtTPMmEel0 |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=YouTube}}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2025}}

In late August famous ex-rapper Denis Cuspert, who was part of the group, was wounded in an airstrike with some sources even claiming he was killed.{{Cite web |date=20 September 2013 |title=The Search for Deso Dogg, the German Rapper Turned Jihadi Poster Boy |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-search-for-deso-dogg-german-rapper-turned-jihadi-poster-boy/ |access-date=17 May 2025 |website=VICE |language=en-US}} During the same time relations between Junud al-Sham and Islamic State soured, culminating in Denis leaving the group. In October Muslim Shishani took command of a newly formed group after merging his faction with those led by Abu Musa al Shishani and Sayfullakh Shishani respectively.

Following this merger Muslim Shishani was based in Aleppo where he trained soldiers from Sayfullakh's jamaat.{{Cite web |title=Muslim Abu Walid Shishani Participating In Latakia Offensive |website=From Chechnya To Syria |archive-date=31 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531143544/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=21311|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=21311|date=26 March 2014|access-date=17 May 2025 }} During their time in Aleppo they also took part in a battle to capture Aleppo prison in early February 2014. During this battle opposition groups including Nusra Front used a Car bomb (SVBIED) and multiple tanks with infantry support. The attack was repulsed and fighters including Sayfullakh retreated. The retreated fighters were hit by an artillery strike which killed Sayfullakh. Later in March Junud al-Sham participated in the 2014 Latakia offensive. The group was in a coalition with Ahrar al-Sham. During the initial stages of the offensive they had great success capturing swathes of areas in Latakia alongside the Turkish border including the border city of Kessab and the strategic Observatory 45. Later the offensive turned into a stalemate{{Cite web |date=16 May 2014 |title=Muslim Shishani & Deputy In Jabal al-Turkman, Latakia|work=From Chechnya To Syria |url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=22012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531163449/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=22012|archive-date=31 May 2014|access-date=6 April 2025}} until the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) eventually reversed all gains around the middle of June.{{Cite web |date=15 June 2014 |title=Syrian army crushes rebel push near Turkish border|url=https://apnews.com/article/487e48f68e70428793a7d08c15422779|access-date=6 April 2025 |website=Associated Press|last1=Lucas|first1=Ryan}}

Unlike many other foreign mujahideen, Junud al-Sham remained mostly independent from other Syrian rebel groups. Many of its fighters defected to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant commander Abu Omar al-Shishani in 2014. The remainder of the group remained "combat-ready", and continued to take part in military operations in 2015, one of which was the capture of Jisr as Shughour where the group fought under a coalition alongside the Turkistan Islamic Party, Ahrar al-Sham and many other groups. On 22 April, the first day of the offensive, Muslim Shishani is seen alongside his deputies Abu Turab Shishani and Abu Bakr Shishani in a video published by the group.{{Cite web |date=22 April 2015|title=A short video showing the opening of yesterdays ongoing battle in Jisr ash-Shugur |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEnv694zinM|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930114346/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEnv694zinM|archivedate=30 September 2016 |access-date=11 April 2025 |website=YouTube}}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2025}}{{Cite web |date=23 April 2015 |title=Muslim Shishani & His Military Emir Reappear In Jisr Al-Shugur|work=From Chechnya To Syria|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=23700 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528234516/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=23700|archive-date=28 May 2015|access-date=6 April 2025|last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna}} They are overlooking the city and communicating by radio. Two days later Muslim is seen in the city{{cite tweet|user=Conflicts|author=Conflict News|number=591720408208056320|date=24 April 2015|title=NEW VIDEO: Inside Jisr Ashugur today, with Muslim Shishani (In English) - @khattab_rt2|access-date=6 April 2025|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250125003410/https://x.com/Conflicts/status/591720408208056320 |archive-date=25 January 2025}} and on 26 April he is touring the city alongside Abu Bakr al-Shishani and a British fighter.{{Cite tweet |last1=Lister |first1=Charles |date=27 April 2015 |title=British Junud al-Sham fighter tours Jisr al-Shughour in #Idlib |user=Charles_Lister|number=592512194186760192 |url-status=live|access-date=6 April 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250312093409/https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/592512194186760192 |archive-date=12 March 2025 }}{{Citation |title=Victory is from Allah - Inside Jisr asShugur - English.HD|url=https://archive.org/details/VictoryIsFromAllah-InsideJisrAsshugur-English.hd |access-date=6 April 2025}}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2025}}

Financial difficulties caused a further decline with some sources claiming that the group was reduced to merely 30 fighters by early 2016. In a video address, Muslim Shishani consequently reproached other insurgent groups in Syria for not providing assistance, which regional expert Joanna Paraszczuk described as a "rant".{{Cite web|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=24635 |title=Muslim Shishani makes video address about situation in Latakia |last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna|work=From Chechnya to Syria |date=12 January 2016 |access-date=9 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306020141/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=24635|archive-date=6 March 2016}} The problems were so grave that the deputy of Junud al-Sham, Abu Bakr al-Shishani, left the group in early 2016 to fight alongside Ajnad al-Kavkaz.{{Cite web |date=9 February 2016|title=Abu Bakr Shishani Now Fighting Alongside Ajnad al-Kavkaz In Latakia|archive-date=19 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019083609/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=24656|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=24656 |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=From Chechnya To Syria|last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna}} This continued until he founded his own jama'at in early 2017.{{Cite web |date=3 March 2017 |title=Abu Bakr Shishani (Muslim's Former Military Amir) Has His Own Jamaat|website=From Chechnya To Syria |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019084334/http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=25317|archive-date=19 October 2017|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=25317 |access-date=3 April 2025 |last1=Paraszczuk|first1=Joanna}}

In September 2016, Junud al-Sham travelled to Hama Governorate in order to fight in a local rebel offensive.{{cite web|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/chechen-jihadist-group-joins-rebels-northern-hama/|title=Chechen jihadist group joins rebels in northern Hama|last1=Fadel|first1=Leith|date=14 September 2016|publisher=Al-Masdar News|access-date=14 September 2016|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915181317/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/chechen-jihadist-group-joins-rebels-northern-hama/|url-status=dead}}{{bsn|date=December 2024}} Later that year, there were reports according to which the group had dissolved, reportedly as result of clashes with Ahrar al-Sham,{{cite web|url=https://www.truppendienst.com/themen/beitraege/artikel/der-syrische-buergerkrieg-update-19-04-2017/ |title=Der Syrische Bürgerkrieg - Update 19 04 2017 |last=|first=|work=Truppendienst.com (Austrian Armed Forces)|date=27 April 2017|access-date=18 March 2017 |language=German}} with many of its Chechen fighters reportedly joining Ajnad al-Kavkaz.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/RaoKomar747/status/798964217747537922|title=Most Chechens left and joined Ajnad al-Kavkaz. Junud leader Muslim Shishani has not joined another group and is not fighting currently.|last1=Komar|first1=Rao|date=19 November 2016|access-date=10 May 2017}}{{BSN|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=April 2025}}

Despite these reports, however, other reports suggested remnants of Junud al-Sham were still active by 2018. In January 2018, pro-government media reported that "a military source in Damascus" said the group took part in a major military campaign against the government in northwestern Syria.{{Cite web |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/al-qaeda-linked-chechen-group-infamous-commander-head-southern-idlib-fight-syrian-army/ |title=Al-Qaeda linked Chechen group and infamous commander head to southern Idlib to fight Syrian Army |last1=Aboufadel|first1=Leith|work=al-Masdar News |date=26 January 2018 |access-date=3 February 2018 |archive-date=4 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204003336/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/al-qaeda-linked-chechen-group-infamous-commander-head-southern-idlib-fight-syrian-army/ |url-status=dead }}{{bsn|date=December 2024}} Meanwhile, the Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit claimed Shishani was participating in the Turkish military operation in Afrin.{{Cite web|url=http://www.yeniakit.com.tr/haber/unlu-cecen-komutan-zeytin-dali-operasyonuna-katildi-416303.html|title=Ünlü Çeçen komutan Zeytin Dalı operasyonuna katıldı|website=yeniakit|language=tr|access-date=1 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201140329/http://www.yeniakit.com.tr/haber/unlu-cecen-komutan-zeytin-dali-operasyonuna-katildi-416303.html|archive-date=1 February 2018|url-status=dead}} However, Shishani denied that he or his followers were in Afrin, and confirmed he was in Hama, fighting alongside another Chechen militia, Tarkhan Gaziyev's Tarkhan's Jamaat. A German foreign fighter with the group named Abu Khalid al-Shami said in an interview from 22 July 2019 that the group clashed with ISIL in Abu Dali{{Cite web|url=https://www.aymennjawad.org/2019/09/a-german-muhajir-in-al-sham-interview|title=A German Muhajir in al-Sham: Interview|date=8 September 2019|access-date=28 December 2024 |last1=Jawad Al-Tamimi|first1=Aymenn|work=Aymenn Jawad blog}} Sometime between 2019 and 2021 the group relocated to Jisr as Shugour countryside.

During the summer of 2021 HTS arrested local criminals who were members of Junud al Sham. Shishani denied these claims and said that the criminals were not affiliated with the group. Despite this Junud al Sham was still forced by HTS to disband as part of a wider plan to unite all groups under the HTS banner. Later in October, Junud al-Sham remnants who were still led by Muslim Shishani came in the crossfire of clashes between Jundullah, a fringe extremist group based out of Idlib, and HTS. HTS assured Shishani that Junud al Sham was not the target of these clashes but that Shishani and his fighters had to leave the area of operations.{{Cite web |date=27 October 2021 |title=Muslim Shishani Steps Aside as HTS Concludes Security Operations against Jundullah |url=https://levant24.com/articles/2021/10/muslim-shishani-steps-aside-as-hts-concludes-security-operations-against-jundullah/ |access-date=28 December 2024 |website=levant24 |language=en-US}} That December, the Russian Air Force bombed his residence, killing a bodyguard and their child while failing to kill Shishani.{{Cite news |title=Today #Russia carried out its second ad hominem airstrike in #Idlib since 2015. A Muslim Shishani's guard (& his son) were killed, 3-4 of his children & his wife are wounded. Other casualties are from nearby families. |url=https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/1469727953982472192 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211211175816/https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/1469727953982472192 |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=12 January 2025 |work=Twitter |language=en}}

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGD6QcCwwHeFUEv_2FlGBRw Junud al-Sham's YouTube Channel]

{{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}}

Category:Anti-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war

Category:Jihadist groups in Syria

Category:2021 disestablishments