Army of Revolutionaries

Army of Revolutionaries
جيش الثوار
Jayš al-Thuwwār
Leaders
  • Ahmed Mahmoud Sultan ("Abu Araj") (general commander since late 2016)
  • Abdul Malik Bard ("Abu Ali") (former general commander until late 2016)
  • Hasan Banawi ("Abu Juma") (Tribal Forces top commander)
  • Abu Raad Bakary
    (Tribal Forces commander)
  • Khalaf Mus'ab
  • Rami al-Agha
Former:
  • Absi Taha ("Abu Omar") (al-Qa'qa Brigade and former Army of Revolutionaries military commander)
  • Omar Rakhmon ("Tariq Abu Zeid") (former spokesperson)
  • Abu Arab (777th Regiment commander)
  • Abdul Aziz Mirza (Sultan Selim Brigade commander)
Dates of operation3 May 2015–present
HeadquartersTel Rifaat, Aleppo Governorate (until 2024)
Active regions
IdeologyFederalism
Democracy
Syrian nationalism
Size1,800–3,000 fighters (2015)
2,000-3,000 fighters (2016)
Part of
Former:
Allies Northern Democratic Brigade
Idlib Revolutionaries Brigade
People's Protection Units
Other SDF groups
Shahba Forces
Opponents Ba'athist Syria
Islamic State
Al-Nusra Front
Ahrar al-Sham
Syrian National Army
Turkey
Battles and wars
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The Army of Revolutionaries (Arabic: جيش الثوار, romanizedJayš al-Thuwwār), also known as Jaysh al-Thuwar, is a multi-ethnic armed Syrian rebel coalition that is allied with the primarily Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and participating in the Syrian Civil War as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Established as a Free Syrian Army coalition in May 2015, with a presence in six governorates, its membership includes Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. With its stated aims of fighting both the Ba'athist regime and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), it was expected to become one of the more relevant rebel alliances in northern Syria, consolidating the democratic rebel spectrum. It was considered one of the "potential powerbrokers" in the Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, and Latakia governorates.

While Jaysh al-Thuwar considers itself to be a part of the rebel mainstream and turned down the U.S. Train-and-Equip-Program because it wanted to be able to fight the Syrian government as well as ISIL, it has always been allied with the YPG. It therefore did not receive Turkish support, rejected the Friends of Syria Group, and became embroiled in open conflict with Islamist rebel groups.

Subsequently, Jaysh al-Thuwar retreated from rebel-held areas and further deepened its bonds with the YPG. In October 2015, it became one of the constituents of the Syrian Democratic Forces, increasingly integrating with the SDF's common frontlines against ISIL and other Islamist forces.

Although it cooperates with the YPG, Jaysh al-Thuwar still considers itself to be part of the Syrian Opposition.