BACKED by the US Government, Southern Front is considered an alternative to both Daesh and the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Now, the alliance of non-jihadist groups is to receive up to £5 million in equipment and training from the UK Government, as David Cameron sets his sights on Syria.
In a written statement, foreign secretary Philip Hammond said there was an “urgent strategic and operational need” to provide 4x4 vehicles, uniforms, radios, cameras and thermal imaging technology to the group.
MPs were given ten parliamentary days, instead of the standard 14, to raise objections to the move.
However, with the focus so far on the clash between Daesh and Assad’s forces, it is unlikely that many of the UK public could identify this group or its aims.
And while Hammond says only “vetted members of the Southern Front” will receive the supplies, the make-up of the group helps illustrate the complexity of the turmoil engulfing the crippled state.
Founded in February last year, Southern Front is made up of almost 60 different factions including First Army, the Youth of Sunnah Brigade and the Quneitra Military Council.
However, recent reports suggest a rise in tensions and disputes between these parties – some secular, some moderate – and their supporters, amid fraught conditions.
Social media accounts recently claimed a number of member factions had secretly pledged to work with Ahrar al-Sham, which is itself a coalition of Islamist and Salafist units.
Affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, Southern Front renounces extremism and is particularly strong in the southern Daraa region, thanks to its military capabilities.
Backed by the US, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and some European countries, the group has been engaged in conflict with Assad’s regime and Hezbollah, which supports Assad.
However, much of its operations are against Daesh as that group attempts to gain more ground, expanding its presence in areas where the regime has lost control.
Daesh has stepped up pressure in the south over the last year and Hammond says the UK backing is aimed at securing the border with Jordan.
He said: “We plan to provide training and non-lethal equipment to vetted members of the Southern Front, in order to significantly improve their casualty evacuation capabilities and their capacity to control and defend a defined section of the Syrian-Jordanian border.”
According to Lina Khatib, former director of the Carnegie Middle East Center at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Southern Front is Syria’s “best hope for a moderate-led transition”.
Khatib, who has called for more external support for the coalition, wrote: “The Southern Front is crucial in the context of the Syrian conflict, not only because of its rejection of extremism and its legitimacy, but also because the area that is mostly controlled by it, Daraa, is only 100 kilometres away from Damascus.
“Whoever takes over Damascus can set the future trajectory of the war, though of course taking over the capital is no mean feat.”
David Cameron says he would defy public opinion and the UN to order Syria air strikes
MP accused of adding unnecessary emotion to debate, as SPF says ‘leave tough decisions to police’
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here