Jund Ansar Allah
Encyclopedia
Jund Ansar Allah is an armed Islamist
organization operating in the Gaza Strip
. On August 14, 2009, the group's spiritual leader, Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa
, announced the establishment of an Islamic
emirate
in the Palestinian territories
and criticized the ruling power, Hamas
, for failing to enforce Sharia
law. In response, Hamas attacked the organization. 24 people died during the fighting, including Moussa.
inspired organization ideologically affiliated with the movement for global jihad
. Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa, an "Egyptian-educated physician-turned-cleric," was the group's spiritual leader. About two years ago, he left his medical practice in Rafah
to become one of the most influential preachers in the southern Gaza Strip. In his Friday sermons that attracted thousands of young men, Moussa argued that Hamas had failed to properly institute Sharia law and had become too lenient. Hamas repeatedly warned Moussa and his followers to abandon his mosque in Rafah.
Jund Ansar Allah remained relatively unknown until June 8, 2009 when it launched a military operation against an IDF
force near the Nahal Oz border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF successfully foiled the attack, which incorporated the use of horses booby-trapped with IED
s and explosives. Five Jund Ansar Allah operatives died in the operation.
The organization also clashed with Hamas. On July 22, 2009, three Jund Ansar Allah militants holed up in a building in Khan Younis surrendered in a standoff with Hamas police.
. After ten mujahideen from the group rode into battle on horses laden with large quantities of explosives, at least three of them were shot dead by Israeli troops. Israeli officials said several of the men had been wearing explosive belts, and suspected they had been attempting to kidnap a soldier.
Hamas officials have also blamed the group for the bombings of several internet cafes, seen as a source of immorality, and of a wedding party attended by relatives of the West Bank-based Fatah
leader, Muhammad Dahlan, in which fifty people were injured. Jund Ansar Allah denied any responsibility for the latter attack, and Fatah leaders blamed Hamas.In August 2009, a senior Hamas official told The Jerusalem Post
that Jund Ansar Allah received its weapons from former Fatah policemen and security officials in the southern Gaza Strip and that the aim of its attacks were to "defame" Hamas.
Regarding the sermon as a challenge to its rule over the Gaza Strip, Hamas forces surrounded the mosque and demanded those inside surrender. Exchanges of gunfire erupted into a seven-hour battle in which Hamas fighters sealed off the entire neighborhood and fired rocket-propelled grenades at the mosque. During the firefight, 24 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 injured. The dead included twelve Jund Ansar Allah members, six Hamas members and six non-combatants, including three young children aged 8, 10 and 13. An Egyptian security official said a three-year-old boy across the border with Egypt
was critically wounded by a bullet from the fighting. Moussa killed himself and a Hamas fighter by detonating an explosive belt strapped around his waist after being trapped in his house. The house was dynamited by Hamas forces. Abu-Jibril Shimali, head of Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
in the southern Gaza Strip, died in the fighting. Israel believes that Shimali orchestrated the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
in a June 2006 cross-border raid.
Hamas did not permit media coverage of the event, barring journalists from entering Rafah or interviewing the wounded.
Following the clashes, a number of al-Qaida-affiliated groups condemned Hamas as an apostate movement that committed "massacre" and charged Hamas's actions to "serve the interest of the Jewish usurpers of Palestine and the Christians who are fighting Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Somalia".
Websites associated with Fatah later released cellphone footage of what appeared to be Hamas executing Jund Ansar Allah fighters during the clash. The video showed black-clad Hamas militants gathering several men from the rebel group in a mosque courtyard, and then mowing them down in a fierce burst of gunfire. Some of the Jund Ansar Allah men were shown lying motionless and bleeding on the ground. In two scenes, Hamas militants appeared to be shooting captives execution-style at close range, and bodies were seen falling to the ground. In another scene, a group of Jund Ansar Allah captives were seen standing motionless against a wall a few meters away. Israeli television Channel 10 also broadcast a recording of what it said was the Hamas military communication channel, ordering Hamas forces to execute everyone. There was no immediate comment from Hamas officials. However, Hamas had previously denied that an execution took place at the site, or that members of Jund Ansar Allah were "massacred."
Following the battle, Jund Ansar Allah vowed to attack Hamas security compounds and mosques in retaliation. On 29 August, bombs exploded inside a security compound and near a mosque in Gaza City, according to security officials. Nobody was injured in the attacks. Jund Ansar al-Jihad wal Sunna, a previously unknown Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Hamas security headquarters, declaring: "We urge our jihadist brothers to join forces to conduct painful joint attacks against those miscreant apostates [Hamas] and end their reign." The Associated Press said that "the two explosions appear[ed] to be revenge attacks against Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers," and suggested a link with Jund Ansar Allah.
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
organization operating in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. On August 14, 2009, the group's spiritual leader, Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa
Abdel Latif Moussa
Abdel Latif Moussa , also known as Abu Noor al-Maqdisi , was the leader of the Salafist Jihadist group Jund Ansar Allah , an Islamist group in Rafah, Gaza Strip...
, announced the establishment of an Islamic
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a type of government, in which the primary basis for government is Islamic religious law...
emirate
Emirate
An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Muslim monarch styled emir.-Etymology:Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir ....
in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
and criticized the ruling power, Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, for failing to enforce Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law. In response, Hamas attacked the organization. 24 people died during the fighting, including Moussa.
Background
Announcing its establishment in November 2008, Jund Ansar Allah is an al-QaedaAl-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...
inspired organization ideologically affiliated with the movement for global jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
. Sheikh Abdel Latif Moussa, an "Egyptian-educated physician-turned-cleric," was the group's spiritual leader. About two years ago, he left his medical practice in Rafah
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
to become one of the most influential preachers in the southern Gaza Strip. In his Friday sermons that attracted thousands of young men, Moussa argued that Hamas had failed to properly institute Sharia law and had become too lenient. Hamas repeatedly warned Moussa and his followers to abandon his mosque in Rafah.
Jund Ansar Allah remained relatively unknown until June 8, 2009 when it launched a military operation against an IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
force near the Nahal Oz border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF successfully foiled the attack, which incorporated the use of horses booby-trapped with 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 and explosives. Five Jund Ansar Allah operatives died in the operation.
The organization also clashed with Hamas. On July 22, 2009, three Jund Ansar Allah militants holed up in a building in Khan Younis surrendered in a standoff with Hamas police.
Armed activities
On 8 June 2009 the group carried out a raid on the Karni border crossing between the Gaza Strip and IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. After ten mujahideen from the group rode into battle on horses laden with large quantities of explosives, at least three of them were shot dead by Israeli troops. Israeli officials said several of the men had been wearing explosive belts, and suspected they had been attempting to kidnap a soldier.
Hamas officials have also blamed the group for the bombings of several internet cafes, seen as a source of immorality, and of a wedding party attended by relatives of the West Bank-based Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
leader, Muhammad Dahlan, in which fifty people were injured. Jund Ansar Allah denied any responsibility for the latter attack, and Fatah leaders blamed Hamas.In August 2009, a senior Hamas official told The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
that Jund Ansar Allah received its weapons from former Fatah policemen and security officials in the southern Gaza Strip and that the aim of its attacks were to "defame" Hamas.
Declaration of an Islamic emirate
On Friday, August 14, 2009, Moussa unexpectedly declared the creation of an Islamic emirate in the Gaza Strip before 100 of his armed followers at the Ibn-Taymiyah mosque in Rafah. During his sermon, Moussa condemned Hamas for failing to implement Sharia law and acting like a "secular government."Regarding the sermon as a challenge to its rule over the Gaza Strip, Hamas forces surrounded the mosque and demanded those inside surrender. Exchanges of gunfire erupted into a seven-hour battle in which Hamas fighters sealed off the entire neighborhood and fired rocket-propelled grenades at the mosque. During the firefight, 24 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 injured. The dead included twelve Jund Ansar Allah members, six Hamas members and six non-combatants, including three young children aged 8, 10 and 13. An Egyptian security official said a three-year-old boy across the border with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
was critically wounded by a bullet from the fighting. Moussa killed himself and a Hamas fighter by detonating an explosive belt strapped around his waist after being trapped in his house. The house was dynamited by Hamas forces. Abu-Jibril Shimali, head of Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist socio-political organisation Hamas. Created in 1992, under the direction of Yahya Ayyash, the primary objective of the group was to build a coherent military organisation to support the goals of...
in the southern Gaza Strip, died in the fighting. Israel believes that Shimali orchestrated the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
in a June 2006 cross-border raid.
Hamas did not permit media coverage of the event, barring journalists from entering Rafah or interviewing the wounded.
Following the clashes, a number of al-Qaida-affiliated groups condemned Hamas as an apostate movement that committed "massacre" and charged Hamas's actions to "serve the interest of the Jewish usurpers of Palestine and the Christians who are fighting Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Somalia".
Websites associated with Fatah later released cellphone footage of what appeared to be Hamas executing Jund Ansar Allah fighters during the clash. The video showed black-clad Hamas militants gathering several men from the rebel group in a mosque courtyard, and then mowing them down in a fierce burst of gunfire. Some of the Jund Ansar Allah men were shown lying motionless and bleeding on the ground. In two scenes, Hamas militants appeared to be shooting captives execution-style at close range, and bodies were seen falling to the ground. In another scene, a group of Jund Ansar Allah captives were seen standing motionless against a wall a few meters away. Israeli television Channel 10 also broadcast a recording of what it said was the Hamas military communication channel, ordering Hamas forces to execute everyone. There was no immediate comment from Hamas officials. However, Hamas had previously denied that an execution took place at the site, or that members of Jund Ansar Allah were "massacred."
Following the battle, Jund Ansar Allah vowed to attack Hamas security compounds and mosques in retaliation. On 29 August, bombs exploded inside a security compound and near a mosque in Gaza City, according to security officials. Nobody was injured in the attacks. Jund Ansar al-Jihad wal Sunna, a previously unknown Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Hamas security headquarters, declaring: "We urge our jihadist brothers to join forces to conduct painful joint attacks against those miscreant apostates [Hamas] and end their reign." The Associated Press said that "the two explosions appear[ed] to be revenge attacks against Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers," and suggested a link with Jund Ansar Allah.
Ideology
A message issued on the group's website and jihadist forums on the day of the clash with Hamas stated:
"The soldiers of tawhid (unification) will not rest ... until the entirety of Muslim lands are liberated and until our imprisoned AqsaAl-Aqsa MosqueAl-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
(mosque) is purified from the desecration of the accursed JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
".
External links
- Profile: Jund Ansar Allah, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- FACTBOX-Five facts about Jund Ansar Allah, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
- Who was Abu Noor al-Maqdisi? (Asharq Al-Awsat)