The Mountain of Islam Battalion was established in 2012 in the Latakia Governorate by local Syrian Turkmens however the group also has Arab members, and was closely associated with the al-Nusra Front and has continued to hold ties to its successor Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and cooperating with the group in Latakia, the group also reportedly cooperates with Free Syrian Army-aligned groups such as the 10th Brigade that is believed to have received US aid.