Northern Sun Battalion

{{Gallery

|title=Commanders of the Northern Sun Battalion

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|File:Muhammad Mustafa (Abu Adel).png

|Muhammad Mustafa Ali, known by his nom de guerre "Abu Adel", general commander of the Northern Sun Battalion since 2014.{{Ref label|commander|a}}

|File:Saadoun al-Faisal (Abu Laya).png

|Saadoun al-Faisal, known by his nom de guerre "Abu Layla", general commander of the group from 2014 to June 2016.{{Ref label|commander|a}}

|File:Adnan Abu Amjad al-Hawl.png

|Adnan Abu Amjad, deputy commander of the group until his death in August 2017.

|File:Kurdish Front commanders in Qabasin.png

|Muhammad Mustafa Ali (left) and Shervan Derwish (right) in Qabasin, July 2013, then as commanders of the Kurdish Front. They would later become commanders of the Northern Sun Battalion.

|File:Ibrahim al-Banawi.png

|Ibrahim al-Banawi, leader of the Soldiers of the Two Holy Mosques Brigade

}}

The formation of the Northern Sun Battalion was announced by Mohammed Hammou, a brigadier general who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces, in the Manbij countryside on 16 April 2014. Less than a week later, several other small groups and individuals joined the battalion, including Abu Layla and several other commanders from the Kurdish Front and the Free Syria Brigade's eastern branch.{{cite web|url=http://en.hawarnews.com/mohammed-abu-adel-in-brief/|title=Mohammed Abu Adel in brief|work=Hawar News Agency|date=18 September 2017|access-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123124257/http://en.hawarnews.com/mohammed-abu-adel-in-brief/|archive-date=23 January 2018|url-status=dead}}

On 3 May 2015, some of 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.

In October 2015 it became part of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Subsequently, the Dawn of Freedom Brigades went defunct.{{cite web |author=Hasan Mustafa |title=An Analysis of Jaish al-Thuwar (The Army of Revolutionaries) – A Component of the Syrian Democratic Forces |work=Hasan Mustafa |url=https://hasanmustafas.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/an-analysis-of-jaish-al-thuwar-the-army-of-revolutionaries-a-component-of-the-syrian-democratic-forces/ |date=16 November 2015 |accessdate=5 December 2015}}

In November, the battalion participated in the Syrian Democratic Force's al-Hawl offensive, and according to commander-in-chief Adnan al-Ahmad was committed to pushing ISIL out of al-Shaddadah and Raqqa, as well as from Jarablus, the Tishrin Dam and Manbij.

When the Manbij Military Council was set up on 3 April 2016, the battalion's second-in-command, Adnan Abu-Amjad, was made the council's general commander.{{Cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2016/04/kurds-set-new-civilian-council-recapturing-syrias-manbij-isis/|title=Kurds set up new civilian council for recapturing Syria's Manbij from ISIS|work=ARA News|date=6 April 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407222648/http://aranews.net/2016/04/kurds-set-new-civilian-council-recapturing-syrias-manbij-isis/|archivedate=7 April 2016}} In course of the following Manbij offensive, one of the Northern Sun Battalion's most prominent commanders was killed: Abu Layla died on 5 June 2016, after being shot in the head by an Islamic State sniper on Friday June third, in the countryside south of Manbij, Syria. He had previously been evacuated by a US military helicopter to a hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, but doctors were unable to remove a bullet to the head and prevent internal bleeding to the brain.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/free-syrian-army-commander-abu-layla-killed-by-isis-sniper-fire-battle-raqqa-1563756|title=Isis sniper's bullet kills Free Syrian Army commander|date=5 June 2016|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/strikes-rebel-held-parts-syrias-aleppo-kill-13-39619422|title=Top Syrian Kurdish Commander Killed in Raqqa Campaign|publisher=ABC News}}

On 28 August 2017, pro-Syrian government media reported that Ibrahim al-Banawi, commander of the Northern Sun Battalion's Soldiers of the Two Holy Mosques Brigade, had defected to the Syrian Army in the southern Raqqa countryside;{{cite web|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-two-top-us-backed-sdf-commanders-defect-syrian-army-photo/|title=BREAKING: Two top US-backed SDF commanders defect to Syrian Army (Photos)|work=Al-Masdar News|author=Andrew Illingworth|date=28 August 2017|accessdate=19 January 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144649/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-two-top-us-backed-sdf-commanders-defect-syrian-army-photo/|url-status=dead}} this was proven to be false, as Ibrahim was still with the Northern Sun Battalion in January 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I5XDdPVQ-M |title=تصريح نائب قائد مجلس منبج العسكري الشيخ ابراهيم البناوي حول الاحداث التي تدور في المنطقة 2018-1-17 |trans-title=Statement by the Deputy Commander of the Council of Manbaj military Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Bannawi on events in the region 2018-1-17 |work=Manbij Military Council |author= |date=17 January 2018 |accessdate=19 January 2018}} On 29 August 2017, Adnan Abu Amjad, former deputy commander of the Northern Sun Battalion and the general commander of the Manbij Military Council, was killed in action during the Battle of Raqqa.{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/30082017|title=SDF: Manbij commander Adnan killed in Raqqa offensive|work=Rudaw Media Network|date=30 August 2017}}

On 17 September 2017, Muhammad Mustafa Ali, also known by his nom de guerre "Abu Adel", the general commander of the Northern Sun Battalion, was appointed the general commander of the Manbij Military Council as the successor of Adnan Abu Amjad.{{cite web|url=http://en.hawarnews.com/muhammad-abu-adel-mmc-new-commander/|title=Muhammad Abu Adel, MMC new commander|work=Hawar News Agency|date=18 September 2017|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123113143/http://en.hawarnews.com/muhammad-abu-adel-mmc-new-commander/|archive-date=23 January 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://furatfm.com/2017/09/17/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%AC-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9/|title=Mohammed Abu Adel as General Commander of the Manbaj Military Council|work=Furat FM Radio|date=17 September 2017|access-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154653/http://furatfm.com/2017/09/17/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%AC-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9/|archive-date=18 September 2017|url-status=dead}}

File:Soldiers of the Two Holy Mosques Brigade.png

• On 21 April 2014, 5 rebel groups from the Euphrates basin of Manbij, Jarabulus, and Sarrin joined the Northern Sun Battalion.
• The Euphrates Martyrs Battalion joined the Northern Sun Battalion in Kobane on 13 January 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.hawarnews.com/%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82/|title=Euphrates Martyrs Brigade claimed its accession to SASO|publisher=Hawar News Agency|date=13 January 2016|access-date=30 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204000726/http://www.hawarnews.com/%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82/|archive-date=4 February 2018|url-status=dead}}
• The Dam Martyrs Brigade joined the group on 4 February 2016.{{cite web|url=http://dckurd.org/2016/02/04/martyrs-of-dam-brigade-join-syrian-democratic-forces-sdf/|title=Martyrs of Dam Brigade join Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)|publisher=|access-date=18 June 2016|archive-date=9 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309205404/http://dckurd.org/2016/02/04/martyrs-of-dam-brigade-join-syrian-democratic-forces-sdf/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/QSD00963/status/707950225260937216|title=QSD Press Office on Twitter|publisher=}}
• On 10 March 2016, the Soldiers of the Two Holy Mosques Brigade joined the group. It was previously part of the al-Tawhid Brigade, the Army of Mujahideen, and Jaysh al-Salam.{{cite tweet |user= QSD00963|number= 707950225260937216|date= 10 March 2016|title= A new brigade "Liwa Jund Al Haramayn" announced it is joining to our forces}}

{{See also|Human rights violations during the Syrian Civil War#SDF|Syrian Democratic Forces#Alleged war crimes}}

On 15 March 2017, a video surfaced that showed members of the Northern Sun Battalion torturing an ISIL fighter, who had been captured while planting mines. One of these mines had killed nine fighters of the battalion, leading five others to take revenge on the ISIL militant. The Manbij Military Council condemned the act, and announced that the involved Northern Sun Battalion fighters would be held for trial for violating the Geneva Conventions.{{cite web|url=https://www.ypgrojava.org/Statement-by-Manbij-Military-Council-%28March-16%2C-2017%29|title=Statement by Manbij Military Council (March 16, 2017)|work=YPG Rojava|date=16 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://en.hawarnews.com/anbij-military-council-on-torture-allegations-we-are-committed-to-laws-of-war/|title=Manbij Military Council on torture allegations: We are committed to laws of war|work=Hawar News Agency|url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320140941/http://en.hawarnews.com/anbij-military-council-on-torture-allegations-we-are-committed-to-laws-of-war/ |archivedate=20 March 2017}} The five accused were subsequently arrested on 17 March.{{cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2017/03/five-sdf-members-arrested-torturing-isis-militant/|title=Five SDF members arrested for torturing ISIS militant|author=Wladimir van Wilgenburg|work=ARA News|date=18 March 2017|access-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518132534/http://aranews.net/2017/03/five-sdf-members-arrested-torturing-isis-militant/|archive-date=18 May 2017|url-status=dead}}

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

{{Note label|commander|a}} Unclear, as both Abu Adel and Abu Layla{{cite web|url=http://www.hawarnews.com/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88-%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%A8-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A9-%D8%A7/|title=Abu Laila example of the leader and an example of a father and role model fighters|work=Hawar News Agency|date=6 June 2016|access-date=8 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609115851/http://www.hawarnews.com/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88-%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%A8-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A9-%D8%A7/|archive-date=9 June 2017|url-status=dead}} were described as the general commander of the Northern Sun Battalion between 2014 and 2016.

{{reflist}}

{{Commonscat|Northern Sun Battalion}}

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