National Front for Liberation


The National Front for Liberation is a Syrian rebel coalition that is part of the Syrian National Army fighting in the Syrian Civil War. The group was formed by 11 rebel factions in northwestern Syria in May 2018, and was officially announced on 28 May 2018. The formation receives major support from Turkey. The group joined the SNA on 4 October 2019. Neither the NFL nor SNA fighters had been informed of the merger, which was announced at a press conference in Urfa, southern Turkey.

Commanders

From 28 May to 1 August 2018, Colonel Fadlallah al-Haji of the Sham Legion was the group's overall commander, Lieutenant Colonel Suhaib Leoush of the Free Idlib Army was its deputy commander, and Major Muhammad Mansour of the Army of Victory was its chief of staff.
On 1 August, Ahmad Sarhan of the Suqour al-Sham Brigades and Walid al-Mushayil of Jaysh al-Ahrar were named as the group's new first and second deputy commanders, respectively, while Walid al-Mushayil of Ahrar al-Sham was appointed chief of staff.

History

On 4 June 2018, the Martyrs of Islam Brigade, part of the National Front for Liberation, joined the Sham Legion, also part of the NFL.
On 1 August, the Syrian Liberation Front, which was formed by Ahrar al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement in February 2018, as well as Jaysh al-Ahrar and the Damascus Gathering joined the formation.
On 5 August, the NFL arrested 45 people accused of attempting to reconcile with the Syrian government in al-Ghab Plain and Mount Shashabo in the western Hama countryside. On 13 August, the crackdown campaign was expanded to Maarat al-Nu'man and Ariha.
On 9 August, the NFL's Sham Legion launched an attack on a People's Protection Units cell in the southeastern Afrin countryside, killing 4 YPG fighters and capturing small arms and ammunition.
On 14 August, the group released a video showing the training of its self-proclaimed "Unit 82 SWAT Forces". On the same day, a group of around 200 fighters formed the Free Hayan Brigade and joined the NFL in order to "unite factions", "fight forces of the Syrian regime", and avoid rebel infighting. The next day, the Free North Brigade which operates around the same area also joined the NFL. On 27 August, the Imam Ali Battalion joined the Free North Brigade.
On 26 March 2019, The National Front for Liberation released a statement declaring its rejection and condemnation of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
Since the Syrian military launched an offensive against rebel-held territory in northwestern Syria on 30 April 2019, the NFL closely cooperated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Army of Glory, and other rebel groups to counter the offensive.
On 9 October 2019, 500 fighters from the Army of Glory, including its deputy commander-in-chief Capt. Manaf Maarati and spokesman Capt. Mustafa Maarati, reportedly defected to the NFL.
On 15 March, Colonel Fadlallah al-Haji, the leader of the NFL, resigned from his position following Turkish orders. The move came after the discovery of a large-scale embezzlement scheme, involving the Sham Legion and other groups within the NFL misrepresenting the amount of fighters within its ranks to receive extra salaries from their Turkish allies.

Member groups