Syrian Resistance

The movement is led by Mihrac Ural, a Turkish Alawite who has Syrian citizenship{{cite web |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-315474-mihrac-ural-a-man-with-a-long-history-of-terrorism.html |title=Mihraç Ural, a man with a long history of terrorism |publisher=Todayszaman.com |date=14 May 2013 |access-date=11 December 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113933/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-315474-mihrac-ural-a-man-with-a-long-history-of-terrorism.html |url-status=dead }} and is also known as "Ali Kayyali" (علي كيالي).{{cite web|url=http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=509435|title=مصادر أمنية تركية تؤكد مقتل معراج أورال في ريف اللاذقية|author=far|work=القدس العربي Alquds Newspaper|date=April 2016 |access-date=4 May 2016}} According to Today's Zaman, Ural was the leader of a clandestine insurgent cell in Hatay Province called the People's Liberation Party-Front of Turkey or Acilciler (The Urgentists). Zaman further alleged that Ural's group has sought to agitate Hatay's sizable Alawite population into confrontation with the Turkish authorities and has also recruited local Alawites to fight in Syria on behalf of the Syrian government.{{cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-291247-group-tries-to-recruit-hatay-alevis-into-assad-army.html|title=Group tries to recruit Hatay Alevis into Assad army|date=3 September 2012|publisher=Today's Zaman|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428064139/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-291247-group-tries-to-recruit-hatay-alevis-into-assad-army.html|archive-date=28 April 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The group claims to also have supporters among Syria's Sunni Muslims and Christians.

Though the group openly espouses a broadly-inclusive platform of Syrian nationalism in addition to secular leftism, it has been claimed that its primary focus is the defence of the Alawite and Twelver Shi’a religious minorities of Syria.{{cite web|last=al-Tamimi|first=Aymenn Jawad|title=A Case Study of "The Syrian Resistance," a Pro-Assad Militia Force|url=http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/aymenn-al-tamimi-speaks-to-ali-kayali-and-profiles-the-syrian-resistance-a-pro-assad-militia-force/|work=Syria Comment|date=22 September 2013 |access-date=24 September 2013}} The Syrian Resistance has been accused by the Syrian opposition of being a sectarian Alawite militia, and of having carried out bombings and attacks in Turkey and on villages in Syria. However, Sheikh Muwaffaq al-Ghazal, a member of the Islamic Alawi Council, claims it has an inclusive national line regarding religion, race and gender.{{cite web|url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/15770|title=Syria: Secularism Takes a Backseat in Latakia|publisher=Al Akhbar English|date=11 May 2013|access-date=11 December 2013|archive-date=12 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112200655/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/15770|url-status=dead}}

Founded before the Syrian Civil War's outbreak under the name "Popular Front for the Liberation of the Sanjak of Iskandarun", the militia has been most active in Latakia Governorate, where its members reportedly committed a massacre in the town of Baniyas in 2013. The Turkish government has also suspected the Syrian Resistance of carrying out the Reyhanlı bombings.{{cite web|url=http://www.syrianobserver.com/EN/News/33794/Turkey_Furious_Over_Attendance_Butcher_Baniyas_at_Sochi |title=Turkey Furious Over Attendance of 'Butcher of Baniyas' at Sochi |author=Alsouria Net |work=The Syrian Observer |date=2 February 2018 |access-date=3 February 2018}}

On 29 March 2016, it was falsely reported that Mihraç Ural had been killed by Ahrar al-Sham.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2016/03/29/mihrac-ural-top-terrorist-sought-by-turkey-fighting-in-assad-regime-ranks-killed-in-clashes-in-syria|title=Mihraç Ural, top terrorist sought by Turkey fighting in Assad regime ranks, killed in clashes in Syria|date=29 March 2016|work=DailySabah|access-date=4 May 2016|archive-date=11 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711091854/http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2016/03/29/mihrac-ural-top-terrorist-sought-by-turkey-fighting-in-assad-regime-ranks-killed-in-clashes-in-syria|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/14975.html|title=Death of Mihrac Ural not yet confirmed: militia, regime SYRIA NEWS - ZAMAN ALWSL|work=SYRIA NEWS - ZAMAN ALWSL|access-date=4 May 2016}}

In late July 2016, the Syrian Resistance sent reinforcement contingents from Hama to Aleppo in order to support the pro-government forces during the 2016 Aleppo campaign. In course of the campaign, they were deployed both in the northern city at the Castello road front, as well as in the south where rebel forces launched a counter-offensive.

At some point, the "Falcons of the Jazira and Euphrates", a militia of Deir ez-Zor Governorate natives, officially joined the Syrian Resistance, though it remained operationally fully autonomous. Under the Syrian Resistance's flag, this unit took part in the central Syria campaign of mid-2017.

Jamal Trabelsi, director of the Syrian Resistance's information office, was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Aleppo in July 2017, though he survived. The group accused "Turkey-backed & hired gangs" of being behind the attack. A few days later, a female media officer of the Syrian Resistance, Duaa Hayel Sulaiman, was assassinated in Damascus.{{cite web|url=http://www.aldorars.com/en/news/825|title=Media woman Killed under mysterious circumstances|work=Al-Dorar Al-Shamia|date=26 July 2017|access-date=28 August 2017|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621154736/http://www.aldorars.com/en/news/825|url-status=dead}}

• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

{{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}}

• {{facebook|MoqawamahSouriyah}} {{in lang|ar}}
• [http://acilciler-thkpc.blogspot.com/ THKP-C Acilciler blog]

{{Syrian Civil War}}

{{Syrian security forces}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2011 establishments in Syria

Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Syria

Category:Communism in Syria

Category:Communist militant groups

Category:Leninism

Category:Military units and formations established in 2011

Category:Pro-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war

Category:Syrian nationalism

Category:Axis of Resistance