Armed groups

Jabhat al-Nusra

Syrian branch of the Islamic State of Iraq, announced in January 2012; pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2013.

Also known as

  • al-Nusrah Front
  • Nusra Front
  • Jabhat al-Nusra li-Ahl al-Sham

Announced in January 2012 as the Syrian branch of the Islamic State of Iraq, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa). 1

In 2013 al-Jolani rejected Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s announcement merging al-Nusra into ISIS and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. 2

Human Rights Watch documented al-Nusra’s participation, with other groups, in executions and abuses against civilians during the 2013 offensive in rural Latakia. 3

Its UN listing (QDe.137) was removed on 27 February 2026. 4

People and bodies linked to it

LeaderCo-founderBranch ofSub-unitMemberSucceeded byMemberCommanderLinked entityAhmed al-SharaaAsaad al-ShaibaniIslamic State ofIraqAl-Manara al-Bayda(The White Minaret)Mohammad QanatariJabhat Fateh al-ShamQutaiba QadishAbdulrahman SalamaAl-Raqi ConstructionJabhat al-Nusra
Legend
  • Supported by independent sources
  • According to testimony
  • Published allegation
  • Person
  • Organisation

Sources

  1. Official record Terrorist Designation of Al-Nusrah Front Leader Muhammad al-Jawlani — U.S. Department of State, May 16, 2013
  2. Official record Country Reports on Terrorism 2014: Al-Nusrah Front (split from ISIS and al-Nusra’s trajectory) — U.S. Department of State
    Note: Covers events up to 2014. Guide v0.2 also cites it for 2016-2017 events; a later source is needed for those.
  3. Human-rights organisation You Can Still See Their Blood: Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, and Hostage Taking by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside — Human Rights Watch, October 10, 2013
  4. Official record Consolidated list updates: removal of QDe.137 — UN Security Council, February 27, 2026
  5. Official record Operation Inherent Resolve, October-December 2024 (Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani / Zaid al-Attar) — Lead Inspector General, report to the U.S. Congress, February 24, 2025
  6. Archive Profile: Asaad al-Shaibani (noms de guerre; Four Towns negotiations) — The Syrian Memory (الذاكرة السورية)
  7. Press Report on Lindsey Snell’s material about Mohammad Qanatari — Independent Arabia, July 30, 2026
  8. Archive Profile: Qutaiba Qadish («Abu Ali al-Zubair»; from al-Nusra to the Foreign Ministry) — The Syrian Memory (الذاكرة السورية)
  9. Archive Profile: Abdulrahman Salama («Abu Ibrahim»; former al-Nusra emir in Aleppo; al-Raqi company; Governor of Raqqa) — The Syrian Memory (الذاكرة السورية)
  10. Testimony Summary of a Mohammad al-Dabbash episode on administration and international cooperation (covers Qutaiba Qadish, Asaad al-Shaibani, Faraj al-Uqda and Abdulrahman Salama). — Syria.news, May 16, 2026