Authenticity and Development Front

Authenticity and Development Front
جبهة الأصالة والتنمية¹
Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah
Authenticity and Development Front; جبهة الأصالة والتنمية; Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah
Leaders	Khalid al-Hamad
Dates of operation	November 2012–January 2025
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate; Hama Governorate;
Ideology	Sunni Islamism; non-political Salafism (disputed)
Size	13,000 (own claim) (2013); 2,200-5,000 (2015)
Part of	Levant Front (2014–15); Mujahideen Shura Council (2014–2015); Free Syrian Army; Syrian National Army Hawar Kilis Operations Room (from 2017);
Allies	Saudi Arabia; Turkey; Tahrir al-Sham; Jaysh al-Islam; Ahrar al-Sham; Saraya Ahl al-Sham
Opponents	Syrian Arab Armed Forces; Iran; Russia; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; Hezbollah; PFLP-GC; Syrian Democratic Forces
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign Rif Dimashq offensive (August–November 2014); Eastern Qalamoun offensive (September–October 2016); ; Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–14); Battle of Aleppo (2012-2016) Aleppo offensive (October–November 2016); ; Siege of Northern Homs; Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War; 2017 Hama offensive; Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War Operation Euphrates Shield; Turkish military operation in Afrin; ; Northwestern Syria offensive (April-August 2019);

The Authenticity and Development Front (Arabic: جبهة الأصالة والتنمية, romanized: Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah) was an alliance of rebel groups that was active during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance was considered to be moderate by Charles Lister (from Middle East Institute)⁴ and the BBC.²⁰

Background

The coalition includes Islamists, military defectors, and former civilians.⁵¹⁰²¹ Although the alliance uses Syrian independence flags and symbols, it does not identify itself as part of the Free Syrian Army.²² One of the groups involved was the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, which was also part of the Army of Mujahideen,⁵ though the Army of Mujahideen announced on 4 May 2014 that the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement had withdrawn from the coalition.²³ The Authenticity and Development Front operated American-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles captured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.²⁴

Member Groups

Current

The White Shroud
Unification Army ²⁵
Army of Tawhid²⁶
- Tajamuu Alwiyat al-Iman Billah
- Liwa Hamah al-Aqidah
- Tajamuu Jund al-Badr Brigade 313
- Lions of Islam Brigade
- Talbisah Brigade
- Falcons of Talbisah Brigade
- Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan Brigade
- Sword of Islam Battalion
- Tajamuu Alwiyat wa Kataib Suyuf al-Haq
Battalions of the People of Impact²⁷
Abd Al-Rahman Battalions²⁸
Miqdad Bin al-Aswad Battalion²⁹
Division 60
Jund al-Sham³⁰

Former Groups

Lions of the East Army³¹
- Liwa Basha’ir al-Nasr³²
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
Liwa al-Fatah al-Mubin (Formerly part of the Allahu Akbar Battalions)³³
Ibn Taymiyyah Mujahideen Brigades (Joined Ahrar al-Sham)³⁴
New Syrian Army (Expelled from Authenticity and Development Front, continued operations as independent group)
- Allahu Akbar Battalions³⁵

References

"The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria". Combating Terrorism Center. 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
Sinjab, Lina (17 October 2013). "Syria crisis: Guide to armed and political opposition". BBC. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
"Analysis: Insurgents launch major offensive against Assad regime in Hama province - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal. 24 March 2017.
Charles Lister, Yes, there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters in Syria. Here’s what we know about them Archived 2016-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 27 November 2015
"The Mujahedeen Army of Aleppo". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
Lund, Aron (27 August 2013). "The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria". CTC Sentinel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
"Guide to the Syrian rebels". BBC. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
Aron Lund (2 January 2014). "Fighting in Aleppo, Resisting Geneva: An Interview With the Tawhid Brigade". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
"New U.S.-backed offensive in northern Syria advances on ISIS outposts". McClatchy DC. 17 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
"The Levant Front: Can Aleppo's Rebels Unite?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 26 December 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
"Key Islamist group Shamiya Front resolves itself: source". Zaman al-Wasl. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
"Free Syrian Army – Statement". RFS Media Office. 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
Lister, Charles (November 2016). "The Free Syrian Army: A decentralized insurgent brand" (PDF). The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World (26).
"Syrian Rebel Brigades Participating in the Operation Olive Branch [18 January 2018]". Suriye Gündemi. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018.
Ömer Özkizilcik (1 July 2019). "A way out for Russia and Turkey from Idlib's spiral of violence". Middle East Institute.
"The Gulf and Islamism in Syria: myths and misconceptions | Links". links.org.au.
"ثوار القلمون يطردون تنظيم "الدولة" من مناطق جديدة". الدرر الشامية. 15 March 2015.
Image malcolmxtreme.files.wordpress.com
"جبهة الأصالة والتنمية كتائب أهل الأثر جانب من مشاركتنا في عملية #غصن_الزيتون عفرين". YouTube.
Guide to the Syrian rebels, BBC, 13 December 2013
"The Fighting in Abu Kamal (Albukamal): Background and Analysis". Brown Moses Blog. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
"The Factions of Abu Kamal". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
"Jeish al-Mujahideen Charter – Comment and Translation". Goha's Nail. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
"THE MODERATE REBELS: A GROWING LIST OF VETTED GROUPS FIELDING BGM-71 TOW ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES". Hasan Mustafas. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
"Northern Homs based rebel group joins Authenticity and Development Front". Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
Image twimg.com
جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (27 February 2018). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_أهل_الأثر https://t.co/mYc9xbXZYp" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.
جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (26 April 2017). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_عباد_الرحمن https://t.co/yXLeej74mL" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.
Image twimg.com
Image Archived 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
"The Authenticity and Development front cuts all of its ties with the New Syrian Army. | en.deirezzor24.net". Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
"Mesopotamische Gesellschaft « the White Shroud: A Syrian Resistance Movement to the Islamic State / By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi".
"Key Updates on Albukamal (Abu Kamal)".
"Syrian Civil War factions".
Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (18 December 2013). "The Factions of Abu Kamal". Middle East Forum. Retrieved 1 March 2024.

External links

[ctc-1] "The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria". Combating Terrorism Center. 27 August 2013. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

[BBC17Oct-2] Sinjab, Lina (17 October 2013). "Syria crisis: Guide to armed and political opposition". BBC. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

[3] "Analysis: Insurgents launch major offensive against Assad regime in Hama province - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal. 24 March 2017.

[Lister1-4] Charles Lister, Yes, there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters in Syria. Here’s what we know about them Archived 2016-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 27 November 2015

[ceip8April-5] "The Mujahedeen Army of Aleppo". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

[ctc270813-6] Lund, Aron (27 August 2013). "The Non-State Militant Landscape in Syria". CTC Sentinel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.

[guide-7] "Guide to the Syrian rebels". BBC. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2018.

[TAWHID-8] Aron Lund (2 January 2014). "Fighting in Aleppo, Resisting Geneva: An Interview With the Tawhid Brigade". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 18 August 2025.

[9] "New U.S.-backed offensive in northern Syria advances on ISIS outposts". McClatchy DC. 17 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

[ceip26dec-10] "The Levant Front: Can Aleppo's Rebels Unite?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 26 December 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.

[disbandenglish-11] "Key Islamist group Shamiya Front resolves itself: source". Zaman al-Wasl. Retrieved 20 April 2015.

[12] "Free Syrian Army – Statement". RFS Media Office. 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.

[13] Lister, Charles (November 2016). "The Free Syrian Army: A decentralized insurgent brand" (PDF). The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World (26).

[brigades-14] "Syrian Rebel Brigades Participating in the Operation Olive Branch [18 January 2018]". Suriye Gündemi. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018.

[spiral-15] Ömer Özkizilcik (1 July 2019). "A way out for Russia and Turkey from Idlib's spiral of violence". Middle East Institute.

[16] "The Gulf and Islamism in Syria: myths and misconceptions | Links". links.org.au.

[haidara-17] "ثوار القلمون يطردون تنظيم "الدولة" من مناطق جديدة". الدرر الشامية. 15 March 2015.

[18] Image malcolmxtreme.files.wordpress.com

[19] "جبهة الأصالة والتنمية كتائب أهل الأثر جانب من مشاركتنا في عملية #غصن_الزيتون عفرين". YouTube.

[BBC-20] Guide to the Syrian rebels, BBC, 13 December 2013

[saudi-21] "The Fighting in Abu Kamal (Albukamal): Background and Analysis". Brown Moses Blog. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.

[22] "The Factions of Abu Kamal". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2015.

[23] "Jeish al-Mujahideen Charter – Comment and Translation". Goha's Nail. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

[moderate-24] "THE MODERATE REBELS: A GROWING LIST OF VETTED GROUPS FIELDING BGM-71 TOW ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES". Hasan Mustafas. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2017.

[25] "Northern Homs based rebel group joins Authenticity and Development Front". Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-05-22.

[26] Image twimg.com

[27] جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (27 February 2018). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_أهل_الأثر https://t.co/mYc9xbXZYp" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.

[28] جبهة الأصالةوالتنمية [@alasalawatanmya] (26 April 2017). "#جبهة_الأصالة_والتنمية #كتائب_عباد_الرحمن https://t.co/yXLeej74mL" (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.

[29] Image twimg.com

[30] Image Archived 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine

[31] "The Authenticity and Development front cuts all of its ties with the New Syrian Army. | en.deirezzor24.net". Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2018-09-02.

[32] "Mesopotamische Gesellschaft « the White Shroud: A Syrian Resistance Movement to the Islamic State / By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi".

[33] "Key Updates on Albukamal (Abu Kamal)".

[34] "Syrian Civil War factions".

[35] Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (18 December 2013). "The Factions of Abu Kamal". Middle East Forum. Retrieved 1 March 2024.

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Authenticity and Development Front جبهة الأصالة والتنمية¹ Jabhat al-'asalah wa'l-tanmiyah

Leaders	Khalid al-Hamad¹
Dates of operation	November 2012²–January 2025
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate Hama Governorate³
Ideology	Sunni Islamism⁴⁵ non-political Salafism (disputed)⁶
Size	13,000 (own claim) (2013)⁷⁸ 2,200-5,000 (2015)⁹⁴
Part of	Levant Front (2014¹⁰–15¹¹) Mujahideen Shura Council (2014–2015) Free Syrian Army⁶¹²¹³ Syrian National Army¹⁴¹⁵ Hawar Kilis Operations Room (from 2017)
Allies	Saudi Arabia¹⁶ Turkey Tahrir al-Sham Jaysh al-Islam Ahrar al-Sham Saraya Ahl al-Sham
Opponents	Syrian Arab Armed Forces Iran Russia Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant¹⁷ Hezbollah PFLP-GC Syrian Democratic Forces
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign Rif Dimashq offensive (August–November 2014)¹⁸ Eastern Qalamoun offensive (September–October 2016) Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–14) Battle of Aleppo (2012-2016) Aleppo offensive (October–November 2016) Siege of Northern Homs Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War 2017 Hama offensive Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War Operation Euphrates Shield Turkish military operation in Afrin¹⁹ Northwestern Syria offensive (April-August 2019)