SUMMARY

Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya (Lions of the East Army) was a Syrian rebel group formed on 4 August 2014 as part of the Authenticity and Development Front and was mainly based in the Eastern Qalamoun mountains and Syria Badiya along the Rif Dimashq-Homs border. On 28 December 2015, it left the Authenticity and Development Front and became an independent actor. The group was formed from twelve factions that had been defeated by IS in the battle for Deir ez Zor (see IS - Mujahideen Shura Council). It mainly focused on defeating [IS](/#/actor/234 in the eastern desert area of Syria, where it gained control over large areas in March 2015.

It was led by Abu Faisal Talas al-Salama, the commander of the Authenticity and Development Front's Bashayir al-Nasr Brigade. Its members followed a wide range of ideologies, including moderate Salafists, FSA-style revolutionaries and those lacking any political program beyond overthrowing the regime, though statements from the group make clear that is has a moderate Islamist orientation

In January 2016, it reportedly had around 350 fighters, but would grow further in the comings months as other groups merged into it. In 2017 it was estimated to have around 500 fighters. After the Eastern Qalamoun pocket fell to the regime in April 2018, Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya relocated to northern Aleppo governorate, where it was absorbed into the Turkish-backed forces of the SNA.

Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence. It is also considered part of the Syrian insurgents active in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organized violence.

Jaysh al-Islam (meaning the Army of Islam) was formed as Liwa al-Islam (Islam Brigade) by Zahran Alloush in September 2011 during the civil war in Syria with an aim of toppling Assad and replacing him with an Islamic government. The group was particularly active around Damascus, with Eastern Ghouta as its stronghold. Jaysh al-Islam was one of the main Syrian insurgent groups in Damascus and its countryside until 2018. On 29 September 2013, 50 small rebel factions from the area joined Liwa al-Islam and they changed their name to Jaysh al-Islam.

In 2014, Jaysh al-Islam was part of the Islamic Front. During 2015, it participated in several coalitions while remaining an independent actor. Most notably, on 26 April 2015 they established the Fatah Halab Operations room with other groups active in the Aleppo area. The group was also a leading member in the Eastern Ghouta Unified Military Command and the Eastern Qalamoun Operations Room, both active in fighting IS in Rif Dimashq. It continued fighting IS in several coalitions (2015, 2017, 2018) in Damascus countryside until it was driven out by the regime in mid-2018. In April 2018, Jaysh al-Islam joined the Turkish-backed rebel alliance SNA (Syria National Army)

Jaysh al-Islam consisted of between 17 000 and 25 000 fighters, and was for much of the uprising one of the strongest groups in Syria.

Jaysh al-Islam was led by Zahran Alloush until his death on 25 December 2015. Essam al-Buwaydhani then became the military leader of the group.

Jaysh al-Islam has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence. It is also considered part of the Syrian insurgents active in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.