Hamza Division (Aleppo)

Hamza Division
Hamza Division
فرقة الحمزة‎; Furqat al-Hamza
	Official logo of the Hamza Division
Leaders	Brig. Gen. Sayf Bulad ("Sayf Abu Bakr"); Lt. Abdullah Halawa; Abu Jalal; Hasan Abdullah Kulli (Kurdish Falcons Brigade); Yasser Abu al-Sheikh †;
Dates of operation	2013–present
Group(s)	Hamza Brigade; Northern Thunder Brigade; Mare' Resistance Brigade; Special Operations Brigade; Dhi Qar Brigade; Kurdish Falcons Brigade; Former: 1st Brigade; 5th Brigade; 51st Brigade; Free Syria Brigade; Samarkand Brigade (former, part of the Syrian Turkmen Brigades);
Headquarters	Mare, Aleppo Governorate; Military college near al-Bab
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate
Size	2,200+ (self-claim, September 2017) 900 (February 2017) 600+ (2018)
Part of	Free Syrian Army; Syrian National Army Syrian Front for Liberation; Hawar Kilis Operations Room
Allies	Turkey; United States (until 2016); Azerbaijan; Al-Mu'tasim Brigade; Liwa Ahfad Saladin; Sultan Murad Division; Levant Front
Opponents	Islamic State; Syrian Democratic Forces; Syrian Arab Armed Forces; Libyan National Army; Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (since 2017); Ahrar al-Sharqiya; Ahrar al-Sham; Armenia; Artsakh
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13); Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016); Battle of al-Rai (August 2016); Operation Euphrates Shield Northern al-Bab offensive (September 2016); 2016 Dabiq offensive; Battle of al-Bab; ; Operation Olive Branch; 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria; Northern Aleppo clashes (October 2022); 2024 Syrian opposition offensives[citation needed]; Operation Dawn of Freedom; Western Syria clashes (December 2024–present); 2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites; ; Second Libyan Civil War (since 2020) 2019–20 Western Libya campaign; ; (alleged) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war;
Flag
	Preceded by; Hamza Battalion

The Hamza Division (Arabic: فرقة الحمزة) is a Syrian rebel group in northwestern Syria affiliated with the Syrian National Army, trained and equipped by the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey as part of the Syrian Train and Equip Program. Formed in 2013, it cooperates with the Turkish Armed Forces in the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.

In 2018, Turkey "deployed 600 members of the Kurdish Falcon Brigade to join the Hamza Division" in "what may have been an.. [attempt] to counter accusations of anti-Kurdish discrimination". As of 2018, the Hamza Division is "made up of 200 Kurdish and 400 Arab fighters" trained and armed by Turkey.^[9]

^ "Hamza Division: a new military formation to fight ISIL". El-Dorar. 23 April 2016.
^ "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs In Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b Rami Raj (25 September 2017). "Al-Hamzah Group (all partners): The opening of the military college is a step in the formation of the (National Army)". All4Syria.
^ ^a ^b "Al-Hamza Division to RFS". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b Suraj Sharma (16 February 2018). "Turkey sends 'Kurdish Falcon' force to Afrin to counter anti-Kurd image". Middle East Eye.
^ "FSA mourns the commander of the Hamza Battalion during the battle of Aleppo". Enab Baladi. 8 April 2016.
^ Walid Al Nofal (14 October 2022). "Interests over ideology: Why al-Jolani is expanding into northern Aleppo, and how Turkey might respond". Syria Direct. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
^ "470 FSA fighters killed in Euphrates Shield Operation". Kom News. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Reports Turkey is transferring Syrian militants to Azerbaijan as hostilities against Armenia increases". Greek City Times. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
^ Khaled Khatib (26 May 2017). "Aleppo: opposition to end "the Knights of the Revolution"". Al-Modon.
^ Orwa Ajjoub (26 October 2022). "HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria's north". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
^ Abdel Halim Suleiman (4 December 2024). "الغنائم تشعل خلافات المعارضة السورية قبل انتهاء المعارك". The Independent (in Arabic). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
^ William Christou (15 March 2025). "'They killed him in cold blood': the cycle of revenge in north-west Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
^ SOHR: 13,000 Pro-Turkey Mercenaries Arrive in Libya See.news, 19 May 2020
^ Osborn, Andrew (6 October 2020). "Russia says Islamist fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict pose threat to Moscow". Reuters. Retrieved 15 March 2025.

[saif-1] "Hamza Division: a new military formation to fight ISIL". El-Dorar. 23 April 2016.

[2] "Hamza Brigade's Leader: Few Hours Later We Will Raise The Victory Signs In Bab City (Video)". Qasioun News. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}

[college-3] Rami Raj (25 September 2017). "Al-Hamzah Group (all partners): The opening of the military college is a step in the formation of the (National Army)". All4Syria.

[rfs-4] "Al-Hamza Division to RFS". Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2016.

[falcon-5] Suraj Sharma (16 February 2018). "Turkey sends 'Kurdish Falcon' force to Afrin to counter anti-Kurd image". Middle East Eye.

[6] "FSA mourns the commander of the Hamza Battalion during the battle of Aleppo". Enab Baladi. 8 April 2016.

[7] Walid Al Nofal (14 October 2022). "Interests over ideology: Why al-Jolani is expanding into northern Aleppo, and how Turkey might respond". Syria Direct. Retrieved 10 February 2025.

[8] "470 FSA fighters killed in Euphrates Shield Operation". Kom News. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.

[:0-9] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Azerbaijan-10] "Reports Turkey is transferring Syrian militants to Azerbaijan as hostilities against Armenia increases". Greek City Times. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.

[11] Khaled Khatib (26 May 2017). "Aleppo: opposition to end "the Knights of the Revolution"". Al-Modon.

[mei26oct-12] Orwa Ajjoub (26 October 2022). "HTS, Turkey, and the future of Syria's north". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2025.

[13] Abdel Halim Suleiman (4 December 2024). "الغنائم تشعل خلافات المعارضة السورية قبل انتهاء المعارك". The Independent (in Arabic). Retrieved 2 May 2025.

[14] William Christou (15 March 2025). "'They killed him in cold blood': the cycle of revenge in north-west Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2025.

[sohr-15] SOHR: 13,000 Pro-Turkey Mercenaries Arrive in Libya See.news, 19 May 2020

[16] Osborn, Andrew (6 October 2020). "Russia says Islamist fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict pose threat to Moscow". Reuters. Retrieved 15 March 2025.

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Hamza Division
فرقة الحمزة‎ Furqat al-Hamza
Official logo of the Hamza Division
Leaders	Brig. Gen. Sayf Bulad ("Sayf Abu Bakr")^[1]^[2] Lt. Abdullah Halawa^[3] Abu Jalal^[4] Hasan Abdullah Kulli (Kurdish Falcons Brigade)^[5] Yasser Abu al-Sheikh †^[6]
Dates of operation	2013–present
Group(s)	Hamza Brigade Northern Thunder Brigade Mare' Resistance Brigade Special Operations Brigade Dhi Qar Brigade Kurdish Falcons Brigade^[5] Former: 1st Brigade 5th Brigade 51st Brigade Free Syria Brigade^[4] Samarkand Brigade (former, part of the Syrian Turkmen Brigades)
Headquarters	Mare, Aleppo Governorate Military college near al-Bab^[7]
Active regions	Aleppo Governorate
Size	2,200+ (self-claim, September 2017)^[3] 900 (February 2017)^[8] 600+ (2018)^[9]
Part of	Free Syrian Army Syrian National Army Syrian Front for Liberation Hawar Kilis Operations Room
Allies	Turkey United States (until 2016) Azerbaijan^[10] Al-Mu'tasim Brigade Liwa Ahfad Saladin Sultan Murad Division Levant Front
Opponents	Islamic State Syrian Democratic Forces Syrian Arab Armed Forces Libyan National Army Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement (since 2017)^[11] Ahrar al-Sharqiya Ahrar al-Sham Armenia^[10] Artsakh^[10]
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–13) Northern Aleppo offensive (March–June 2016) Battle of al-Rai (August 2016) Operation Euphrates Shield Northern al-Bab offensive (September 2016) 2016 Dabiq offensive Battle of al-Bab Operation Olive Branch 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria Northern Aleppo clashes (October 2022)^[12] 2024 Syrian opposition offensives^{[citation needed]} Operation Dawn of Freedom^[13] Western Syria clashes (December 2024–present) 2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites^[14] Second Libyan Civil War (since 2020)^[15] 2019–20 Western Libya campaign (alleged) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war^[10]^[16]
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Preceded by Hamza Battalion