The Brigade of Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (), also known as the Kata'ib al-Abbas (), was a Syrian

Twelver Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the Islamic schools and branches, largest branch of Shia Islam, Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twel ...

Shia Muslim Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

militia that fought for

Ba'athist Syria Ba'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), was the Syrian state between 1963 and 2024 under the One-party state, one-party rule of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region, Syrian regional branch of the Ba'ath Party (Syri ...

prior to the

collapse of the Assad regime On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported mainly by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army as part of the ongoi ...

. It is named after the nickname of

Al-Abbas ibn Ali Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (, 15 May 647 10 October 680 CE), also known by the kunya Abu al-Fadl (), was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Rashid caliph in Sunni Islam and the first Imam in Shia Islam. His mother was Fatima bint Hi ...

, son of

Imam Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

. The group was formed in late 2012 to defend the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque and other Shia holy sites in Syria. It rose in prominence in reaction to the desecration of various shrines, heritage sites, and places of worship by

Syrian rebels A number of states and armed groups have involved themselves in the Syrian civil war (2011–present) as belligerents. The main groups were Ba'athist Syria and allies, Syrian opposition, the Syrian opposition and allies, Al-Qaeda and affiliate ...

during the Syrian civil war, and subsequently collaborated with the

Syrian Army The Syrian Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. Up until the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian Arab Army existed as a land force branch of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, which dominanted the military service of the fo ...

. Its fighters include Shia Damascenes, Damascus-based Shia

Iraqi refugees Throughout the 20th century, Iraq witnessed multiple periods of instability and conflict that prompted the creation and flight of many refugees. Earlier examples include the exodus of Iraqi Jews and the flight of Iraqi Kurds. The Iraqi invasi ...

, and foreign Shia volunteers, mostly from Iraq. It fought primarily around Damascus, but has fought in

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

as well. In May and June 2013, Reuters reported a split had developed within the brigade over finances and leadership which led to violence. Many non-Syrian members subsequently formed a different brigade. On 19 May 2014, fighters from the Nour al-Din al-Zanki Brigade claimed to have taken over the al-Abbas Brigade's regional headquarters in Aleppo. As the

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

made significant gains in Iraq in mid-2014, many its Iraqi members returned home to defend the faltering government in Baghdad.

Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham The Conquering Lion of God Forces of Iraq and the Levant (), more commonly known by its original name () or simply LAAG, is a Shia Islam, Shia Muslim militant group operating throughout Iraq. It is named after the title of Imam Ali. History L ...

was part of Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas until 2017, when it became a part of Liwa'a Zulfiqar. The al-Abbas Bridge took part in the

2018 Southern Syria offensive Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number) * One of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short story ''God's Dice'' * ''Eighteen'' (film), a ...

in support of government troops.

References

Anti-ISIL factions in Syria Anti-Israeli sentiment in Syria Pro-Assad factions of the Syrian civil war Resistance movements Shia Islamist groups Syrian Shia organizations Military units and formations established in 2012 Organizations designated as terrorist by the United Arab Emirates Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist Jihadist groups in Syria Jihadist groups in Iraq Arab militant groups Axis of Resistance Long stubs with short prose {{Syria-mil-stub

See also

References