Jaish Ansar al-Sunna
Encyclopedia
Ansar al-Sunnah or Jamaat Ansar al-Sunnah or Group of the Followers of Sunnah (faith) , (formerly Jaish Ansar al-Sunna, or "Army of the Followers of the Sunna") is a terrorist salafi
group in Iraq
that is fighting the U.S.-led occupation and the elected government led by Nouri al-Maliki
. The group is based in northern and central Iraq
, and includes mostly Iraqi fighters. The group was founded in September 2003 as an umbrella organization
for guerrilla
s, with former members of Ansar al-Islam
, a radical Islamist organization with members currently residing in Iran
after a 2003 joint operation by Iraqi and US forces forced them to flee Iraq. This date coincides with the first released message from the group stating their existence, on September 20. Their goal is to expel U.S. occupation forces from Iraq.
Ansar al-Sunna is thought to have links with other Islamic organizations operating in Iraq including, the formerly Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
backed, Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (al-Qaeda in Iraq). In October 2004 Ansar al-Sunna released a video beheading of a Turkish truck driver on its website. The kidnappers on the video identified themselves as members of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Source: MERIA). Initially the United States and Iraqi Interim
governments reportedly linked Ansar al-Sunna to al-Qaeda
. However a letter intercepted by the American military in January 2007 exposes violent conflict between the two groups.
Following the twin Sunni and Shiite uprisings of the spring and summer of 2004, and the subsequent decrease in U.S patrols and the creation of "no-go" areas in the Sunni Triangle, Ansar al-Sunna was believed to be part of a loose coalition of insurgent groups (also including guerrillas from Mohammad's Army and al-Tawhid wal-Jihad) controlling the Sunni cities of Fallujah, Ramadi, Samarra
, and Baquba (U.S. offensives later largely wrested control from Baquba, Fallujah, and Samarra, although underground guerrilla resistance forces still have a strong presence in those cities).
On October 10, 2005, Britain's Home Office banned Ansar al-Sunna and fourteen other militant groups from operating in the United Kingdom. Under Britain's Terrorism Act 2000
, being a member of a Ansar al-Sunna is punished by a 10-year prison term.
IN July 2007 representatives of the Jaish Ansar al-Sunna were instrumental in forming an alliance of sunni militant groups to prepare for the withdrawal of American and allied forces. The new alliance is composed of seven groupings explicitly excluding al-Qaeda and the Baath-party. This delimitation reveals a growing split between al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna over tactics, alleged attacks on Iraqi shia civilians being a main point of difference.
The same year Ansar al-Sunnah formally acknowledged the organizations origins in the Ansar al-islam
, and changed their name to this.
It has produced tapes and CD
s that mark the "last testaments" of six bombers from previous attacks, three of whom appear non-Iraqi. Its name also appeared with eleven other insurgent groups on leaflets passed out in the Sunni Triangle cities of Ramadi
and Fallujah
from January 31, 2004 to February 1, 2004. The leaflets detail the insurgency's plan for seizing Iraqi cities following the departure of coalition forces.
It also has a strong presence in Mosul
were it launched an offensive in November 2004 along with other foreign fighters and militant groups. After the Battle of Mosul (2004)
the group maintained pockets of resistance in the western part of the city. It continued to clash with units such as the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment and it claimed responsibility for a major suicide bombing of the dining hall at the US base in Mosul on December 21, 2004 that killed 14 US soldiers, 5 US citizen Halliburton
employees and 5 Iraqi soldiers. The attacker was reportedly a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest under the uniform of an Iraqi security officer. The suicide bomber's name was Abu Museli.
. In two of the videos, one of the members referred to as "The Emir
" is heard warning Iraqis not to deal with US forces.One of the leaders of the organization was found dead with child pornography in his possession during a US-led raid into his compound The voice threatens to kill and send to Hell
all who disobey. The speaker has not been identified but it is presumed that he is the head of Ansar al-Sunna. Ansar al-Sunna is also among the most active users of IED
s against coalition forces, a fact testified to by the numerous videos released of IED attacks claimed by the group. http://www.liveleak.com/browse?all&q=ansar%20sunna&page=1
These are some of the attacks which they have claimed to have carried out:
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
group in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
that is fighting the U.S.-led occupation and the elected government led by Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
. The group is based in northern and central Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and includes mostly Iraqi fighters. The group was founded in September 2003 as an umbrella organization
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
for guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
s, with former members of Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam is a Sunni Islamist group of Iraqis, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam, close to the official Saudi ideology of Wahhabism with strict application of Sharia. The group was formed in the northern provinces of Iraq near the Iranian border, and previously had established...
, a radical Islamist organization with members currently residing in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
after a 2003 joint operation by Iraqi and US forces forced them to flee Iraq. This date coincides with the first released message from the group stating their existence, on September 20. Their goal is to expel U.S. occupation forces from Iraq.
Ansar al-Sunna is thought to have links with other Islamic organizations operating in Iraq including, the formerly Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
backed, Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (al-Qaeda in Iraq). In October 2004 Ansar al-Sunna released a video beheading of a Turkish truck driver on its website. The kidnappers on the video identified themselves as members of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Source: MERIA). Initially the United States and Iraqi Interim
Iraqi Interim Government
The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30, 2005...
governments reportedly linked Ansar al-Sunna to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. However a letter intercepted by the American military in January 2007 exposes violent conflict between the two groups.
Following the twin Sunni and Shiite uprisings of the spring and summer of 2004, and the subsequent decrease in U.S patrols and the creation of "no-go" areas in the Sunni Triangle, Ansar al-Sunna was believed to be part of a loose coalition of insurgent groups (also including guerrillas from Mohammad's Army and al-Tawhid wal-Jihad) controlling the Sunni cities of Fallujah, Ramadi, Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
, and Baquba (U.S. offensives later largely wrested control from Baquba, Fallujah, and Samarra, although underground guerrilla resistance forces still have a strong presence in those cities).
On October 10, 2005, Britain's Home Office banned Ansar al-Sunna and fourteen other militant groups from operating in the United Kingdom. Under Britain's Terrorism Act 2000
Terrorism Act 2000
The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996...
, being a member of a Ansar al-Sunna is punished by a 10-year prison term.
IN July 2007 representatives of the Jaish Ansar al-Sunna were instrumental in forming an alliance of sunni militant groups to prepare for the withdrawal of American and allied forces. The new alliance is composed of seven groupings explicitly excluding al-Qaeda and the Baath-party. This delimitation reveals a growing split between al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna over tactics, alleged attacks on Iraqi shia civilians being a main point of difference.
The same year Ansar al-Sunnah formally acknowledged the organizations origins in the Ansar al-islam
Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam is a Sunni Islamist group of Iraqis, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam, close to the official Saudi ideology of Wahhabism with strict application of Sharia. The group was formed in the northern provinces of Iraq near the Iranian border, and previously had established...
, and changed their name to this.
Suicide bombings
Jaish Ansar al-Sunna has claimed responsibility for several suicide bombings in Iraq, including the devastating attacks on the offices of two main Kurdish political parties, KDP and PUK, in Irbil on February 1, 2004, that killed at least 109 people. The strikes were one of the bloodiest attacks launched by insurgents since the start of the war.It has produced tapes and CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s that mark the "last testaments" of six bombers from previous attacks, three of whom appear non-Iraqi. Its name also appeared with eleven other insurgent groups on leaflets passed out in the Sunni Triangle cities of Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
and Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
from January 31, 2004 to February 1, 2004. The leaflets detail the insurgency's plan for seizing Iraqi cities following the departure of coalition forces.
It also has a strong presence in Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
were it launched an offensive in November 2004 along with other foreign fighters and militant groups. After the Battle of Mosul (2004)
Battle of Mosul (2004)
The Battle for Mosul was a battle fought during the Iraq War in 2004 for the capital of the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq that occurred concurrently to fighting in Fallujah.- Prelude :...
the group maintained pockets of resistance in the western part of the city. It continued to clash with units such as the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment and it claimed responsibility for a major suicide bombing of the dining hall at the US base in Mosul on December 21, 2004 that killed 14 US soldiers, 5 US citizen Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
employees and 5 Iraqi soldiers. The attacker was reportedly a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest under the uniform of an Iraqi security officer. The suicide bomber's name was Abu Museli.
Militant actions
Ansar al-Sunna was one of three groups responsible for the kidnapping of foreigners in Iraq in 2004 and the subsequent broadcasting of their beheading via the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. In two of the videos, one of the members referred to as "The Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
" is heard warning Iraqis not to deal with US forces.One of the leaders of the organization was found dead with child pornography in his possession during a US-led raid into his compound The voice threatens to kill and send to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
all who disobey. The speaker has not been identified but it is presumed that he is the head of Ansar al-Sunna. Ansar al-Sunna is also among the most active users of IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s against coalition forces, a fact testified to by the numerous videos released of IED attacks claimed by the group. http://www.liveleak.com/browse?all&q=ansar%20sunna&page=1
These are some of the attacks which they have claimed to have carried out:
October
- 14th - A Car bombCar bombA car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
outside the TurkishTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
embassy in BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
which killed one innocent bystander.
November
- 20th - A car bomb attack on the Patriotic Union of KurdistanPatriotic Union of KurdistanThe Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a Kurdish political party in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded on June 1, 1975, by coordinations between Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa...
headquarters in KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
which killed six. - 29th - An Ambush against two vehicles, killing 7 SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Intelligence officers. The militants directly credit the Hamzah Sariyah Squadron of the al-Mansurah brigade, and say they retrieved 3 automatic weapons and a videocamera from the wreckage of the vehicles.
February
- 1st - parallel suicidebombings of Id-celebrations arranged by main kurdish partiesKDPKDPKDP may refer to:*Kurdistan Democratic Party of South Kurdistan*Kurdistan Democratic Party of East Kurdistan*Korea Democratic Party*Khmer Democratic Party*Communist Party of Germany *Kappa Delta Pi...
and PUKPUKPUK may stand for:* Patriotic Union of Kurdistan * Partia e Unitetit Kombėtar * Pin Unlock Key used in GSM mobile phones* Prefectural University of KumamotoPuk may refer to:...
in ArbilArbilArbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
. 109 dead. - 23rd - Bombing the Rahimawa police station in KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, killing 13.
March
- 9th - Launched Katyusha rockets at the Kirkuk airport.
- 28th - Claimed to have killed 8 Intelligence officers from Britain and CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, though neither country recognized this claim as valid. Al-Sunna then later showed the identity cards of the victims on a videorecording, which was met by silence from both countries.
August
- 25th - Released a videotape of the beheading of a second alleged CIA agent
- 31st - Released the execution of 12 Nepalese hostages videotape who had come to work for contractors in Iraq after the war; one was beheaded, the remaining eleven were shot in the back of the head. After the execution, the Nepalese burnt the mosque in Kathmandu to protest the killing.
October
- 2nd - Released a videotape of the beheading of an Iraqi named Barie Nafi'a Daoud Ibrahim, accused of collaboration with the enemy.
- 22nd - Released a videotape of the beheading of an Iraqi named Seif Adnan KanaanSeif Adnan KanaanSeif Adnan Kanaan , was an Iraqi citizen who was abducted in Iraq and beheaded on October 22, 2004. The reason given by the kidnappers, the Army of Ansar Al-Sunna, was that he was employed by the United States Army.-Murder:...
, accused of collaboration with the enemy. - 28th - Released a videotape of the killing of 11 captured members of the Iraqi National Guard; one was beheaded, the remaining ten were shot in the back of the head.
November
- 4th - Released a videotape of the beheading of a captured officer of the new Iraqi Army working in tandem with the US Army, Hussein Shunun. Shunun had been captured by the group in MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
a few days earlier
December
- 21st - Suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi soldier detonates in the mess hall of US camp Marez in Mosul while dozens of soldiers were dining. The death toll was 24 including, 14 American soldiers, 5 American contractors, and 5 Iraqi soldiers. Ansar al-sunna claimed the bomber was a local man from Mosul and had been working in the base for some time.
May
- 9th - They announced the kidnapping of a JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese man, Akihiko SaitoAkihiko SaitoAkihiko Saito was a Japanese security guard, who was taken hostage by the Jaish Ansar al-Sunna in Iraq in 2005, and later died in captivity of wounds he had received in the earlier gunbattle in which he was captured...
, who was working for British Security Contractor Hart GMSSCO. The militants reported that he had been injured in a fierce gunbattle near the Iraq-Syrian Border, but did not initially offer photos or video of him until doubts surfaced, then released a video of his corpse. The militants claimed that he died of his wounds.
August
- 5th - They claim to have killed eight US Marines in a shoot-out in HadithaHadithaHaditha is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at . Its population of around 100,000 people is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs...
, though the US claims the number is only six.
June
- 18th - Ansar al-Sunna announced it had executed several "homosexual transvestites" who they claimed were "not in accordance with the prophet Muhammad's teachings". The bodies were found decapitated days later in the Tigris river.
September
- 18th - Ansar al-Sunna kills two men who are accused of apostasy for working with the Iraqi government. The released video shows one badly beaten man confessing, and another singing a nasheed, an Arabic song, before both are shot in the back of the head.
March
- 18th - A Gaza based faction of the group claimed responsibility in a rocket attack from Gaza that landed in Israel, killing a Thai worker. The attack was said to be in response for the "Judaization" of sites both holy to Jews and Muslims.
November
- 18 - The group on Thursday posted a Hebrew-language threat on the Internet, pledging revenge for the killing of two militants in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City a day earlier. The 30-second clip, in which a man speaks in heavily-accented Hebrew, was posted on an Islamist website which contains references to Gaza. At the end of the clip, the speaker identifies himself as belonging to "Ansar al-Sunna in Al-Quds".
See also
- Iraqi insurgencyIraqi insurgencyThe Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
- Terrorist groups