Profile: Liwa Samarqand (SNA)
Liwa’ Samarqand - لواء سمرقند
‘Samarkand Brigade’
Basic information:
Founded in northern Aleppo in June 2016
A member of the SNA since its founding on December 30 2017, affiliated with the First Legion
Took part in Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield (2016), Operation Olive Branch (2018), and Operation Peace Spring (2019)
Part of the “13th Division” coalition with Liwa’ al-Waqqas and Furqat al-Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih
Size estimate: small, under 1,000 fighters
Primarily active in Kafr Safrah, Cindires (Afrin) and rural eastern al-Bab (Euphrates Shield)
Named for the Uzbek city Samarkand
Leadership:
Tha’ir al-Ma’rouf
Appointed Mar 13 2018
Former member of Jabhat Thuwwar Suriya (SRF), kicked out of Idlib by Jabhat al-Nusrah in 2014
Wa’el Mousa (d. 2018)
b. 1986 in Shanan, Idlib (Jabal al-Zawiyah)
Police 1st Lieutenant pre-2011
Former commander in Jabhat Thuwwar Suriya (SRF), kicked out of Idlib by Jabhat al-Nusrah in 2014
Killed Mar 09 2018 during Operation Olive Branch
Commander of SNA 1st Legion
Hawar Kilis Operations Room Military Commander
Nidal ‘Amouri Bakour (Abu ‘Ali Kafr Haya)
From Jabal al-Zawiyah, Idlib
Military commander in Jabhat Thuwwar Suriya (SRF), kicked out of Idlib by Jabhat al-Nusrah in 2014
Died Oct 01 2016 of injuries sustained in IS landmine explosion in Jarabulus
Mustafa Afdil al-Satouf (d. 2016)
Founding commander with Wa’el Mousa
From Jabal al-Zawiyah, Idlib
Killed by IS landmine in Jarabulus, Sep 29 2016
Areas of activity:
Afrin (Kafr Safrah, Cindires subdistrict)
Euphrates Shield (al-Kridiyah, east of al-Bab city)
SNA unit number:
First Legion, 12th Division, 121st Brigade
Intra-SNA affiliations:
13th Division (May 28 2021 - seemingly defunct as a coherent entity)
‘Azm (Aug 20 2021 - defunct)
Faction History:
Founded by former members of SRF in northern Aleppo on June 22 2016 as a subfaction of Furqat al-Hamzah, at the time part of the US DoD’s Train and Equip program. Liwa’ Samarqand began to operate independently soon after its founding.
Took part in Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch (Aug 2016 - Mar 2017)
Commanders Mustafa Afdil (seen next to Wa’el Mousa in the group’s formation video) and Nidal ‘Amouri Bakour were killed when their car struck an Islamic State mine near Jarabulus on Sep 29 2016.
Member of the Hawar Kilis Operations Room
Founded the ‘National Army Bloc’ along with Liwa’ al-Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih and Liwa’ al-Muntasir Billah on Jul 13 2017
Deployed to Cindires front during Operation Olive Branch (2018)
Faction leader and commander of the SNA 1st Legion Wa’el Mousa was killed on Mar 09 2018 during combat with the SDF within the context of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch. Current commander Tha’ir Ma’rouf was appointed to replace him several days later.
Took part in Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in northeastern Syria in a limited capacity, primarily involved in contemporaneous clashes along the front lines west of Manbij.
Deployed fighters to Hama and Idlib fronts in 2019 and 2020, during regime offensives.
Lineage:
Past and present senior commanders all from Jabal al-Zawiyah, Idlib and were formerly affiliated with Jabhat Thuwwar Suriya (SRF), a prominent Idlib coalition that received TOWs through the CIA’s Operation Timber Sycamore and was headed by Jamal Ma’rouf from late 2013 until it was attacked by Jabhat al-Nusrah in October 2014, forcing members to flee into Turkey
Liwa’ Samarqand was founded under the auspices of Furqat al-Hamzah though appears to have become an independent faction soon after.
Known bases:
Manzikert Military Barracks, Afrin
(source) 
al-Kridiyah, Euphrates Shield region
(source) 
Social Media:
Twitter account (Aug 2016 - )
YouTube channel (Nov 2016 - )
Telegram channel (Aug 2016 - )