Hazzm Movement

The Hazzm Movement (Arabic: حركة حزم‎‎, Harakat Hazzm, meaning Movement of Steadfastness) was an alliance of Syrian rebels that existed from 25 January 2014 until 1 March 2015, when they joined the Levant Front.

History

See also: al-Nusra Front–SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict

The Hazzm Movement was established on 25 January 2014 when 12 small rebel factions merged. Several of the factions had been part of the Farouq Brigades. The groups that became the Army of Mujahedeen were originally going to join the Hazzm Movement. The previous incarnation of the group, called Harakat Zaman Mohamed (The movement of the time of Muhammad), was supported by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.

The Hazzm Movement had a northern division, led by Murshid al-Khalid (Abu al-Muatassim), and a southern division led by Mohammed al-Dahik (Abu Hatem). The Secretary-General was Bilal Atar (Abu Abd al-Sham). Abdullah Awda (Abu Zeid) was in charge of military operations and Hamza Shamali (Abu Hashem) in charge of political affairs.

The group was supplied BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles in a covert CIA program launched in 2014. Scores of the groups fighters also received U.S. military training in Qatar under the same program.

In October 2014, Al-Nusra Front began attacking positions of Hazzm in Idlib Province, overrunning bases and seizing weapon stores, due to its perceived closeness to the United States. Following the loss of men and weapons to Nusra, the Idlib branch of Hazzm stopped receiving funds from the CIA in December 2014, funds to the Aleppo branch continued. In January 2015, Al Nusra attacked Hazzm Movement positions in Aleppo province. The Hazzm Movement reacted by joining the Levant Front, a large alliance of prominent Aleppo-based Islamist rebel groups; the alliance urged al Nusra to resolve its dispute with the Hazzm Movement by negotiating with the Levant Front.

On 1 March 2015, after several heavy clashes with the Al-Nusra Front, the Hazzm Movement announced they were dissolving and joining the Levant Front.

On 5 May 2015, former members of the Hazzm Movement and the Syria Revolutionaries Front based in the north, as well as Jabhat al-Akrad, the Dawn of Freedom Brigades and smaller FSA groups formed Jaysh al-Thuwar.

Component groups

The 12 groups that merged on 25 January 2014 to form the Hazzm Movement were:

• Kataib Farouq al-Shamal
• 9th Special Forces Brigade
• 1st Brigade of Madraat
• Liwa Ayman Bil Allah
• Katibat Abi Harith - Farouq Hama
• Katibat Ahrar al-Salmiya - Farouq Hama
• Liwa Ahbab Allah
• 60th Brigade
• Katibat Shaheed Abdul Ghaffar Hamish
• Katibat Shaheed Abdullahi Bukar
• Saraya Sawt al-Haq
• Katibat Abu Asad al-Nimr

See also

• Syrian Train and Equip Program
• List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War

External links

• Hazzm Movement on Twitter (Arabic)
• Hazzm Movement's YouTube Channel

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