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al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (Palestine)

Last modified: 2022-12-31 by ian macdonald
Keywords: palestine | al-aqsa | politics | fatah | palestine liberation movement | harakat tahrir filistin | firearm | gun | kalashnikov | mosque | grenade |
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كتائب شهداء الأقصى, (al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades)

[al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (Palestine)]
image by Eugene Ipavec, 06 Sep 2005
See also:

Description

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade uses a yellow flag with a circular emblem. [photo]
Albert Kirsch, 14 Nov 2004

The flag is vertical and yellow, with a black emblem depicting two crossed AK-47s over the Dome of the Rock, all surrounded by two extremely long Palestinian flags. There is an arc of Arabic text below, and another above. In logos the topmost element is usually a hand grenade; here it is a dome-like latticework.
Eugene Ipavec
and Nathan Lamm, 27 Apr 2007


Introduction

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (كتائبشهداءالاقصى) are one of the militias of the Palestinian group al-Fatah. They have been one of the driving forces behind the al-Aqsa Intifada, emerging shortly afterwards. This militia was originally named after the al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites and an icon for the Palestinian movement. The group's membership is primarily drawn from the ranks of Tanzim, (organization in Arabic), another militant youth group within al-Fatah ranks.
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is an active terrorist organization committed to the creation of Palestinian nation-state. The brigade is comprised of an unknown number of small militias, or cells. al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is a secular, nationalist terrorist group. While the organization does not seek to create an Islamic state, it does use Islamic themes in its campaign. The group's specific objectives are to drive Israelis from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem. These areas would then become a Palestinian nation-state.
Sources: wikipedia, TKB
Esteban Rivera, 27 Aug 2005

I seem to recall that there are more than one al-Fatah, including secular (even socialist atheist) branches along with religious ones (those including Islamic extremists, like this group). Or am I mixing things?
António Martins-Tuválkin, 01 Sep 2005

You are. Fatah is one branch of the PLO, which includes (or included) a range of groups. The socialist ones (the PFLP, the DFLP) have left, though, and the more Islamic ones (Hamas, Jihad) were never in it. Fatah, which is more secular nationalist, has long dominated, and the al-Aqsa group is part of it (perhaps a bit more religious).
Nathan Lamm, 01 Sep 2005

A photo of a flag of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. "Aqsa" refers to the "Golden Dome shrine" atop a hill (al-Sharif) in Jerusalem – where the Prophet Mohammed ascended into Paradise, spoke with Allah, returned down to Earth, and then flew upon a flying horse back to Medina.
Bill Garrison, 26 Aug 2007

I think I've written this before, but the Dome of the Rock (the golden one) is not the Al Aqsa Mosque – it's not even a mosque. It is the spot where Mohammed is supposed to have gone to Heaven. The Al Aqsa Mosque is a bit further south on the same Temple Mount, and sometimes the entire Mount (Haram esh-Sharif in Arabic) is sometimes called by its name.
Nathan Lamm, 26 Aug 2007


Lion's Den militia

[Lion's Den militia] image located by Bill Garrison, 20 September 2022

Source: https://twitter.com/JoeTruzman or see original article at the online "Foundation for Defense of Democracies" https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2022/09/19/newly-established-militant-organization/

A Twitter user reported that a "flag was found on" a Palestinian militant allegedly belonging to a new Palestinian group titled either "Lion's Den" or "The Lion's Den". While the group purportedly operates in the "West Bank", the individual possessing the flag was arrested in Jaffa, Israel. While the flag itself was not shown, its design might be inferred from the logo on the group's purported headband.

"Lion's Den" logo -- may be on their flag or its flag may look like its "Lion's Den" headband with its full name.
Bill Garrison, 20 September 2022

From this link, here's the following: "Additionally, it remains unclear if TLD (The Lion's Den) is a splinter organization of an established militant group such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. However, there are some clues that suggest their affiliation to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
On several occasions, TLD has published its logo with the picture of two militants killed in late July, Muhammed al-Azizi and Abdul Subh, both members of the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Furthermore, TLD said in a statement published on Sep. 3 that Azizi and Subh were its founding members. The evidence suggests TLD is following the same pattern of other sub groups that have been formed this year who are affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad or al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
Esteban Rivera, 20 September 2022

[Lion's Den militia] image located by Bill Garrison, 16 October 2022

A photo of the "Lion's Den" or "Den of Lions" flag: source: https://www.timesofisrael.com
The white-field flag with multi-color logo of the "Lion's Den" or "Den of Lions" militia, in Nablus (West Bank/Palestine) c. Sept. 2022.
Bill Garrison, 16 October 2022

A larger, clearer logo can be seen on the shoulder of a member:
Image at https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Lions-Den-2-1024xcenter-c-default.jpg, source: https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/lions-den/
Bill Garrison, 17 October 2022