Katibat Jabal al-Islam (Arabic:كتيبة جبل الإسلام,romanized: Katībat Jabal al-Islām,lit.'Mountain of Islam Battalion',Turkish:İslam Dağı Taburu) orJabal al-Islam Battalion is ajihadist group made up of mostlySyrian Turkmen established in 2012 in theBayırbucak region of the northernLatakia area.
The group was established in 2012 in the Latakia area, specifically in theJabal al-Turkman area, with a present-day estimate of 300 members with the group being an offshoot ofAl-Nusra Front with the main goal being to "make Allah's law the rule of law in the land.".[3] After Al-Nusra Front and other organizations merged intoHay'at Tahrir al-Sham in 2017, Katibat Jabal al-Islam followed suit and pledged allegiance to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.[4] During their operations in the Latakia governante, Katibat Jabal al-Islam worked alongside theFree Syrian Army including the American backed 10th brigade, though working under Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and also receiving 30-60 Turkish backed militants in their organization, the group is considered an independentSalafi Jihadist organization.[5] Despite their association with designated terrorist organizations, Katibat Jabal al-Islam is not designated as a terrorist organization by any official government.[6] The organization held ceremonies including Islamic marriages and other celebrations with its members.[7] Katibat Jabal al-Islam is considered a close ally with theTurkistan Islamic Party in Syria as they're both consideredPan-Turkist, this is similar toAnsar al-Islam andHurras al-Din.[8] Though most of the members are Syrian Turkmen, some members areMoroccan Arabs.[9] In 2016, Katibat Jabal al-Islam pledged its support forSalafiIslamicclerics in Syria of the Assembly of al-Sham Scholars which included the Shari'i clerics in Syria affiliated with militarism likeAbdullah al-Muhaysini andAbu Maria al-Qahtani.[10] In 2021 Katibat Jabal al-Islam was listed onFacebook's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations List for being associated with terrorism, under its Turkish name, İslam Dağı Taburu.[11] On 24 January 2024, theFrench government froze all assets belonging to Katibat Jabal al-Islam in France with 24 other groups affiliated with terrorism in Syria as seen by the French after the advances in Latakia and Hama.[12]
In April 2015, members of Katibat Jabal al-Islam detonated animprovised explosive device near the military patrol Tower 45, killing 4 officers and 3 non-commissioned officers includingColonel Samer Khalil from the village of Al-Drikish. The device was planted ~500 meters (1,640 feet) away from the patrol tower.[13]
In July 2015, Katibat Jabal al-Islam participated in attacks in Othman Hill in Jabal al-Turkman and strikes against the Beit Awan military base alongside otherAl-Nusra Front groups in order to recapture land that was in control of the regime forces.[14]
In December 2015, they began clashing with members of the 2nd Coastal Brigade of theSyrian Arab Army.[15]
During the2015–2016 Latakia offensive, Katibat Jabal al-Islam took over the Jabal al-Islam area after battles with Russian militants and Iranian backedShia groups.[16] These areas include the strategic points of Gimam, Kizylag, Avanli (Beyt Avan), Tardakli (Beyt Gazebak), Karabacli, Saray, Ablak (Beyt Ablak), Dagagan after 11 months of battle with both regime forces and Iranian backed Shia militant organizations.[17]
On 27 January, Katibat Jabal al-Islam released a statement regarding the killing of three Syrian regime forces by a sniper on the axes of Mount Turkmen.[18]
During and after the dissolution of Al-Nusra Front infighting between ideological allies of Katibat Jabal al-Islam began, especially after an attack by theMujahideen Army precipitated wider infighting between Al-Nusra Front aligned organizations and other insurgent factions.[4]
In 2018, the commander of the military of Katibat Jabal al-Islam, Zahir Abu Usama, made statements to the Turkish-sponsored newsAnadolu Agency stating that members of the organization had attacked Russian-backed militants in theTurkmen Mountain in revenge for the attacks againstIdlib where Russian warplanes struck Katibat Jabal al-Islam militants in the Turkmen Mountains.[19] They attacked regime soldiers in the areas ofBayırbucak with the initial hopes that these attacks would lessen the attacks against Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham'sde facto capital, Idlib, by theRussian Air Force. Through these attacks, Katibat Jabal al-Islam took the villages of Villas and Qapi Kaya farms, killing a large number of regime soldiers.[20]
In the initial revenge attack they targeted Mount Sarraf killing 17 Syrian regime soldiers after entering an estimated 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) across the line of control by the Syrian regime alongside Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham andHurras al-Din.[21] On the same day a car bomb went off near the Tishreen suburb, near Sheikh Mahmoud Road in Latakia, wounding two civilians.[22] The next day, on 22 January, Katibat Jabal al-Islam with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham attacked Syrian regime points in Mount Sarraf again killing 20 Syrian Regime soldiers and injuring 15. Afterwards, they led attacks on Qabi Qaya and Al-Filla where they also seized sizeable quantities of military equipment includinglight weaponry, and destroyed tents that were being used by the Syrian regime soldiers. They also claimed the destruction of anMD missile base.[23][24] In response to the operations in Mount Sarraf, regime soldiers shelled areas of Al-Yamdiyah and Al-Salur from the Al-Bayda observatories and Abu Ali hill though there were no reports of casualties on the side of the Syrian opposition.[25] During this, Katibat Jabal al-Islam participated in anInghimasi operation alongside Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham against Russian militants andSyrian government forces nicknamed Operation "Allah torments you in your hands" where Katibat Jabal al-Islam militants killed 12 regime soldiers and destroyed many vehicles with the first operation while simultaneously members of the1st Coastal Division destroyed a Syrian9M133 Kornet with a9K111 Fagot.[26] The next day (23 January 2018), Katibat Jabal al-Islam conducted two ambushes which, according to the group, led to the death of 9 regime fighters with many of these ambushes reportedly took place in the area of Mount Sarraf.[27] The attacked continued by Katibat Jabal al-Islam targeting Jabal al-Bayda, al-Zahiya, Abu Ali Hill, and al-Zalazal Hill with the leader of the organization, Sheikh Fidaa Kharbatli, stating that "the group of immersion fighters was able to carry out a qualitative operation in the Sarraf axis, where they infiltrated the regime forces' positions in the area, and killed 15 elements in the operation.", the group was met with heavy tank fire and shelling during this operation.[28] On 24 January 2018, 17 members of the 144th Division of the Syrian Arab Army were killed in total after operations by Katibat Jabal al-Islam targeted positions in Sarraf including Jabal al-Bayda, al-Zahiya, Abu Ali Hill, and al-Zalazal Hill; the leader of the militant group, Sheikh Abu Obeida Fida, released this information.[29] On 25 January 2018, Katibat Jabal al-Islam officially stated that the operation was a success against the Syrian controlledBayırbucak where 20 Syrian regime soldiers were killed and 19 others were wounded,[30][31] before this operation, the Syrian regime controlled 80% of the Mount Turkmen area.[32] Katibat Jabal al-Islam also struck Syrian regime soldiers in the area ofal-Fakhurah where it killed 9 regime soldiers and injured many others, including three Syrian officers. The destruction also included a Syrian controlled23×152mmBanti-aircraft cannon and a Syrianhumvee, the attacks also included the border ofJabal al-Akrad.[33][34] Later that day, Katibat Jabal al-Islam militants ambushed regime soldiers in North Latakia killing 5 of them in order to expand their area of control in north Latakia.[35][36]
On 21 June, Katibat Jabal al-Islam militants clashed with Syrian regime soldiers, killing 15 and injuring 5 where the militants attacked the areas of Qabıkaya, Sarraf and Golcuk and seized military equipment in response to military attacks done the day before by Syrian and Iranian backed militias.[37]
A month later, Katibat Jabal al-Islam killed 17 more regime soldiers in the same areas with help from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.[38] The members of Katibat Jabal al-Islam fought both Russian militants and Syrian regime soldiers, with the fighting they took Sarraf and the pushing towards theHama countryside.[39]
In August 2018, members of Katiat Jabal al-Islam ambushed Syrian regime soldiers in Al-Sarraf killing another 5.[40] During the attacks in August,Islamic State elements attacked multiple Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham groups including Katibat Jabal al-Islam militants in the town and military point of Baida al-Suwayda where an Islamic Statesuicide bomber blew himself up.[41] After another attack by Katibat Jabal al-Islam they targeted points in the Turkmen Mountain region killing or injuring 16 Syrian soldiers.[42] The Syrian Arab Army thwarted the attack and repelled HTS fighters and their allies, including Katibat Jabal al-Islam in Sarraf from expanding further though the attack killed 4 members of the Syrian regime forces.[43][44][45]
In November 2018, Katibat Jabal al-Islam killed 10 members of the regime forces, which was followed by shelling by regime forces on the outskirts of the town ofAl-Ziyara and the village of Al-Sarmaniyah.[46] Alongside theRouse the Believers Operations Room, Katibat Jabal al-Islam raided multiple pro-regime militants in both Latakia and Hama Governorates on 16 November.[47] On 16–17 November, after Syrian regime soldiers targeted areas ofJaysh al-Izza in the northern Hama countryside, Katibat Jabal al-Islam with help from Rouse the Believers Operations Room struck areas of pro-regime forces in Latakia and Hama killing in total 34 regime soldiers and taking control of light and medium weaponry with a statement being released saying: "TheNusayri army points in Tal Burkan Katf Hassoun were raided in theJabal al-Akrad axis in the Latakia countryside.".[48]
In 2019, Katibat Jabal al-Islam, with help from theRouse the Believers Operations Room and factions from theNational Front for Liberation, took 15 locations in theLatakia governorate including three strategic hills, Al-Fursan Hill, Al-Tahuna Hill, and Al-Zaytouna Hill in Jabal Al-Turkman. This resulted in the deaths of 30 Syrian regime soldiers and the destruction of two tanks withguided missiles from arocket propelled grenade launcher, and the capture of a third tank in Zahiya Hill where they attempted to continue the offensive towards the capturing of Atira Hill.[clarification needed][49] Katibat Jabal al-Islam also captured heavy, medium and light weapons and various ammunition with images of the attacks and statements were released, 20 military sites were also seized.[50] A video was then released by Rouse the Believers Operations Room where it also talked aboutjihad andmartyrdom entitled "When you enter it, you will be victorious." (Arabic:إِذَا دخْلْتُومُهُ فَنَاكُمْ غَالِبُونَ,romanized: Idhā dkhltūmuhu fanākum ghālibūna) presenting the attacks that happened.[51] The video also featured calls for the freeing of Syrian political prisoners, the video was spread on social media platforms includingYouTube.[52] During this time, Assad aligned militants assisted with heavy Russian air support attempted to take back the area.[53]
In 2020, a member of the Katibat Jabal al-Islam was assassinated after conflict with the Russian militants in Latakia.[54] The member was named Abu Abdullah, his assassination would be investigated by the local police force though the information about the investigation was not fully released to the public.[55]
^"Türkmen Mücahidlerden Kardeşlerine: Suriye Cihadına Destek Verin!" [From Turkmen Mujahideen to His Brothers: Support Syrian Jihad! Kaynak: Türkmen Mücahidlerden Kardeşlerine: Suriye Cihadına Destek Verin!].Haksöz Haber (in Turkish). 15 July 2019. Retrieved11 December 2024.
Al-Nusra Front (2012-2017)
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (2017-2025)
Turkey
Free Syrian Army
National Front for Liberation
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Rouse the Believers Operations Room
Hurras al-Din
Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan
Ansar al-Din Front[2]
Syrian Arab Republic
Iran
Islamic State
