Interview with the "Islamic Resistance Front in Syria: Awali al-Ba's"
As noted previously, among the various entities that have emerged in opposition to the new Syrian government, some espouse an ideology of ‘Islamic resistance’ in alignment with the broader ‘axis of resistance’ in the region. The most notable entity along these lines is the ‘Islamic Resistance Front in Syria: Awali al-Ba’s’, which presently appears to be split into two factions, as I have noted.
The interview below was conducted on 5-6 January with ‘Abu Mujahid’, who leads the faction of the group that controls the original and larger social media channels.
Q: Can you give a summary picture of the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria- Awali al-Ba’s? When was it formed and why? Were its members from the ranks of the Local Defence formations for example (i.e. formations of Syrian fighters affiliated with Hezbollah and the IRGC)? Does the front receive any support from Iran and the ‘resistance axis’? Some say the front is a fictional organisation, so what’s the evidence this group is actually on the ground? Likewise we saw after the death of Abu Jihad Ridha the rise of another group using the same name. Has there been a division in the group after the prior leader’s death?