Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Video on the Stages of Military Recruitment

The main insurgent faction in northwest Syria- Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham- continues to engage in active recruitment efforts on the ground and via social media. The most recent iteration of the group’s recruitment efforts comes in the form of its “military recruitment administration” that has a number of branches in the regions under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s control. A recent video release from this administrative branch is one entitled “The stages of military recruitment in the liberated north,” featuring the story of someone who signed up via the “Central Region” branch (al-Mantaqa al-Wusta). The first stage is to head to the recruitment office and fill in the form, then there is the Shari’i course followed by a break, and then there is the military course. I include a rough transcript of the video.

Note that the narrator speaks in local Syrian Arabic. This fact, combined with the local offices and fake numbers used to generate WhatsApp accounts in the northwest area (+352 is a very popular calling code for these fake numbers), illustrates that the group’s recruitment process is targeted at locals in the areas under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s control. Theoretically I suppose, it is possible for foreigners to sign up to join Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, but that would mainly apply for those already inside northwest Syria. As for the foreigners outside Syria who would want to join, they would have to make their own way to the northwest and then go to an office to sign up. This contrasts with the Islamic State’s global recruitment efforts that even included a “Hijra Commission” to facilitate the arrival of foreigners into Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.

Below is my rough transcript (any suggestions for modification most welcome) with some screenshots from the video.

[Poster at start of video]:

“Central Region Recruitment Branch

Join the heroes of the liberated areas and contact us through the following accounts:

TGN005
+352 681 587 507
832 681”

[Narrator]: Today I will walk on the path of glory and dignity, upon which many preceded me, and upon which many will follow me. I registered in the recruitment branch in my region, and I filled in the joining form, and of course I did not forget the contact number. The procedures are easy, and the organisation of the administration for the recruitment branch is very good, and the reception was wonderful.

The Shari’i course is the first real stage in which I will transition to a new atmosphere. The Shari’i course is important, because I am going to bear arms, and defend with them the liberated areas. Therefore I have to understand something about the jurisprudence of jihad. There are late night sessions and various activities in the Shari’i course. I was expecting that the Shari’i course would be difficult and tiring, but I hardly felt that thirty days went by.

And now after a week of rest following the Shari’i course, I am going to start the second stage and it is the military course, and I am going to begin the training and earnestness. The military course has been determined for us to be a month. The first and most important thing is to raise the physical fitness, and acquiring military expertise must be focused on training, and I do not lag behind my brothers.

And after this companionship, I start taking theoretical and practical lessons about the light and medium weapons, and you get to know their nature and how to use them.

And finally, I have reached the finest moment I was waiting for: the feeling of bearing arms is a beautiful feeling and at the same time a responsibility. You don’t feel the days, because you get to know very good young men and the trainers as the nicest people. And now after the stage of the Shari’i and military preparation has ended, I have become ready to be one of the mujahideen who will complete the way of jihad until we should regain our land and liberate our Sham from the filth of the occupation and the tyrants.

[Conclusion]: Take the initiative to join the convoy of heroes. And contact us over the following accounts:

Atmeh: +352 681 587 510 (Telegram: TGN001).
Harem: +352 681 587 508 (Telegram: TGN002).
al-Shamaliya: +352 681 587 506 (Telegram: TGN003).
Ariha: +352 681 587 509 (Telegram: TGN004).
Central: +352 681 587 507 (Telegram: TGN005).
Sarmada: +352 681 519 413 (Telegram: TGN006).
Idlib: +352 681 522 002 (Telegram: TGN007).