The Southern Front () was a Syrian rebel alliance consisting of 54 or 58 Syrian opposition factions affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), established on 13 February 2014 in southern Syria. By June 2015, the Southern Front controlled about 70 percent of Daraa Governorate, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies; by 2018, the front was defunct, with most of its fighters either reintegrating into the Syrian Army or fleeing to other FSA-held lands in the north.
The coalition was described by Western officials as "the best organized of the mainstream opposition". The constituent groups ranged from secularist groups to moderate religious groups, and the Southern Front has been described as a "non-hardline Islamist rebel group" that rejects extremism.
Nature of the front The Southern Front is an alliance of over 50 rebel groups, ranging from secularist to moderately religious. Bashar al-Zoubi, head of the Yarmouk Army, said to the BBC in 2014 that the groups or factions of the Southern Front are militarily coordinated by a moving command center with a unified leadership but with no overall commander and no centralised command—which is contradictory.Cody Roche Syrian Opposition Factions in the Syrian Civil War, Bellingcat, 13 August 2016
The Carter Center, a private organization in the U.S. promoting human rights globally, in February 2015 also described the Southern Front as a loose coalition of self-described moderate armed groups without leadership or organizational structure, that agreed on the name ‘Southern Front’ to receive support from the inter-governmental Friends of Syria through the southern MOC ("Military Operations Center") in Amman.
The relationship between the Southern Front and the Syrian armed rebel group Free Syrian Army (FSA) has been described differently by different news sources. Remarks of news sources about such relation are in some cases more or less compatible, in other cases incompatible. Some statements in chronological order:
The Syrian Observer on 14 February 2014 stated that 49 rebel groups in southern Syria had announced in a statement the establishment of ‘The Southern Front’ and suggested vaguely that Southern Front was affiliated with FSA. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace mentioned on 21 March 2014 that the ‘Omari Brigades’, one of the FSA units from 2011, became a member faction of 'Syrian Revolutionaries Front' (created in December 2013) which was in mid-February 2014 one of the 49 factions that banded together as the Southern Front signing a statement. The Huffington Post stated on 15 May 2014 that a loose coalition of about 50 rebel units including the largest FSA units in southern Syria in February 2014 had announced the establishment of the Southern Front. The National Interest stated on 6 July 2015 that the Southern Front is a coalition of Free Syrian Army brigades, which had made significant gains in Daraa Governorate.‘Syria’s last best hope: the Southern Front’, The National Interest, 6 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016. Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad wrote on 10 October 2015: "Saudi Arabia is increasing its weapons deliveries to Syrian rebels. That concerns three different groups: Jaish al-Fatah, the Free Syrian Army, and the Southern Front." ‘VS stoppen met trainen rebellen’ (US stop training rebels). NRC Handelsblad, 10 October 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2016. The International Business Times on 12 March 2016 made mention of a ‘Southern Front’ which it describes as a group of Syrian opposition groups formerly members of FSA, focusing primarily on the Daraa and Quneitra governorates.‘US launches rockets into southern Syria for first time’, International Business Times, 12 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
History Formation In mid-February 2014, according to a Syrian rebel brigade officer, the Military Operations Command (MOC) in Jordan designed for channeling Western and Gulf aid to moderate rebel forces in southern Syria convened a meeting with leaders of nearly 50 southern rebel groups and directed them to create a new umbrella coalition. This resulted in the "Southern Front" being formed on 13 February 2014.
The formation of the front and its backing by Western forces challenged al-Nusra's military and political success in the region, though Southern Front units continued to cooperate with al-Nusra forces.
The Southern Front quickly became the largest rebel fighter umbrella organization in Southern Syria, comprising 25–30,000 fighters, the great majority of the South's rebel groups and manpower.
Initial growth On 13 November 2014, it was reported that 15 factions of the Southern Front drew up a political program as an alternative to the exile-led opposition in Turkey, in which they planned to turn the Southern Front into a civilian security force. At the same time a provincial council was established. This political program was intended to have "broad appeal among Syrian civilians and to undercut support for more extreme interpretations of Islam that has been spreading".
Around that time, almost 40 small rebel groups joined the First Corps in the south.
On 27 December 2014, the 18 March Division, Yarmouk Army, Fallujah of Houran Brigade and Lions of Sunna Brigade merged under the command structure of the Hawks of the South coalition to strengthen the Southern Front.
On 1 January 2015, the Hamza Division, Syria Revolutionaries Front (SRF) southern command and 1st Artillery Regiment merged under the command structure of the First Army.
As of February 2015, Southern Front operations were executed through seven 'Southern Front operation rooms'.
On 15 May 2015, the Southern Front unified under one military council, chaired by 7 senior members. On 1 June 2015, the Southern Front paraded for the graduation of one thousand new members.
In June 2015, the SF launched Operation Southern Storm to take Deraa city's northern and eastern districts from government control. The operation was largely unsuccessful.
Decline from late 2015 After Operation Southern Storm, SF declined in size and lost some of its support from the MOC. In late 2016, 58 groups were re-organized around four of the largest units with close ties to the MOC: Youth of Sunnah Brigade, Yarmouk Army, 24th Infantry Division and Amoud Houran Division.
On 18 June 2018, the Southern Front was hit by "Operation Basalt", a pro-government offensive in Daraa and Quneitra province. By 23 July the forces of the Southern Front were fully defeated and lost all territory that was under their control. Surrendering fighters either agreed to reconciliation deals or were relocated to Idlib.
Aftermath Many of the "reconciled" fighters went on to participate in the Daraa insurgency, starting on 23 November 2018 (including the March 2020 Daraa clashes).
The rebranded Youth of Sunna Forces, known as the 8th Brigade, formed part of the Southern Operations Room in December 2024 and participated in the Fall of Damascus that same month.
Support and funding
General Ibrahim Jbawi, spokesperson for the Southern Front, stated in November 2014 that his group received money and weapons from the US, France, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Activists said that Jordan also facilitated the Southern Front by allowing them to cross freely to and from Jordan.
The Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) based newspaper The National stated in November 2014 that the Military Operations Command center (MOC) in Amman, Jordan, staffed by "western and Arab military officials", had sent out food baskets to six rebel factions in southern Syria, presumably members of the Southern Front. The BBC stated in December 2014 that the Southern Front was "backed" through the Military Operations Center in Jordan, "a logistics and supply hub" run by the US with European and Arab allies. The German Heinrich Böll Foundation stated in 2015 that the Southern Front was being "funded" by a Military Operations Center (MOC) in Amman, Jordan which is run by "the US and its allies." No American official has yet admitted to the US supporting the Southern Front. The MOC has reportedly been inactive since 2017.
The National also reported that Southern Front members participating in the fight against the Syrian government receive $50–$100 per month while those who fight against ISIL receive $100–$250 per month from the MOC. However, the MOC threatened to cut funds unless the SF launched an offensive against ISIL.
The Southern Front itself, and media in Britain, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates, have stated that the Southern Front was funded by the US and its allies, possibly through a US-led Military Operations Center (MOC) based in Amman, Jordan. Since its formation, rebels said field operation rooms have been added inside Syria to improve coordination between units.
Leadership
Brig. Gen. Bashar al-Zoubi(former overall Leader) Brig. Gen. Ziad Fahd(Deputy Chief of Staff) Lt. Col. Majid al-Sayid Ahmed(Head of the Operations Department) Col. Saber Safar(Member of the Military Council) Col. Bakur Salim al-Salim(Member of the Military Council) Col. Khaled al-Nabulsi(Member of the Military Council) Maj. Hassam Ibrahim(Member of the Military Council) Capt. Said Nakresh(Member of the Military Council) Ahmad al-Awda(Member of the Military Council) Samer al-Haboush(Member of the Military Council) Maj. Issam Rayes(Spokesperson)
Military activities Overview
On 25 March 2015, the Southern Front captured the town of Bosra after a 3-day long battle.
On 1 April 2015, the Southern Front captured the Nasib border crossing, the last government-controlled border crossing into Jordan.
After the Southern Front's strategic victory at the capture of Brigade 52 in early June 2015, an analyst from the Institute for Strategic Studies stated that "The Southern Front is now showing itself as an increasingly effective buffer against Islamist rebels as well as an effective means for applying pressure on the Assad regime", and Southern Front spokesman Issam al-Reis stated that "We have most of Daraa liberated, our lines of defense behind us are solid, and now we can start the operation toward Damascus and the highway leading to it".
On 17 June 2015, the Southern Front launched an offensive to take all of Quneitra province.
On 25 June 2015, the Southern Front announced "Southern Storm", an offensive to capture Daraa city, where the Syrian Revolution began in 2012. By mid-August the offensive had failed to make significant advances, but the government had responded by increasing attacks on civilian neighborhoods, killing dozens of civilians, leading to public demonstrations against the Southern Front's failed strategy. An analysis by the Heinrich Böll Foundation suggested that the Southern Front had failed to receive significant support from the Military Operations Center in Jordan.
In July and August 2016, more than 200 rebels from the Southern Front defected to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, successor to al-Nusra Front, and Ahrar al-Sham due to better pay and more willingness to fight government forces.
In the second half of 2016, Southern Front member groups were involved in failed operations against ISIS, those being the 2016 Abu Kamal offensive and the Eastern Qalamoun 2016 offensive.
On 12 February 2017, Free Syrian Army groups (Southern Front and the Army of Free Tribes), Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Jabhat Ansar al-Islam, and Alwiya al-Furqan - working together as part of the Unified Ranks operations room - launched an offensive in Daraa. A week into the first phase of the offensive, ISIL also started an offensive against the Daraa-based rebels, lasting a week and resulting in an ISIL victory. Clashes between the Southern Front-led rebels and ISIL continued for the next few months.