Active March 2014 – present Strength 2,000 (2015) | Ideology Islamic democracy Battles and wars Syrian civil war | |
Groups 1st Tank Brigade3rd Tank Brigade7th Special Forces Brigade9th Infantry BrigadeSpecial Missions Battalion Area of operations Idlib GovernorateAleppo GovernorateHama Governorate | ||
The 21st Combined Force (Arabic: تجمع القوة 21), formerly the 101st Infantry Division, (Arabic: الفرقة 101 مشاة), is Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, sanctioned by the Syrian National Council and a part of the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council. It received U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles and is funded by the Supreme Military Council. It notably includes religious minorities in leadership positions.
Contents
On 6 May 2015, along with 13 other Aleppo-based groups, joined the Fatah Halab joint operations room.
History
The 101st Infantry Division suspended its cooperation with the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front on 21 July 2014. On 7 September 2014, 101st Division allied with four other rebel groups, including the Knights of Justice Brigade, into a new formation called the 5th Corps.
In February 2015, the al-Nusra Front attacked the 7th Special Forces Brigade of the 101st Division in the Idlib countryside and captured a large amount of weapons and other supplies.
In December 2015 it merged with the Knights of Justice Brigade to form the Northern Division, but the 101st Division left the group in June 2016.
On 14 October 2016, the 101st Infantry Division absorbed several smaller rebel groups and changed its name to the 21st Combined Force.
Stance on Israel
The group's leadership stance on Israel can be described as hostile.