, native_name2_lang = ar
, war =
Syrian Civil War
, image =
![Syrian revolution flag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Syrian_revolution_flag.svg)
, caption = Syrian Independence Flag, flown by the Syrian Free Army and it’s predecessor factions
, ideology =
, active = May 2015 – December 2016 (New Syrian Army)
December 2016 — November 2022 (Maghaweir Al-Thowra)
November 2022 — Present (Syrian Free Army)
, leaders = *
Captain Muhammad Farid al-Qassem (since October 2022, MaT/SFA)
*
Lieutenant colonel/
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Muhannad Ahmad al-Tala
(until October 2022, MaT)
[
*Captain Abdullah al-Zoubi]
(since December 2016, MaT)
*Bara Fares
(media spokesperson)
*Muhammad Jarrah
(spokesman)
*Khazal al-Sarhan
(until December 2016, NSyA)
*Mozahem al-Saloum
(spokesperson, former, NSyA)
, clans = *Ghosts of the Desert
*Allahu Akbar Brigade
, area = Homs Governorate
Homs Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حمص / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥimṣ'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its area differs in various sources, from to . It is thus geographic ...
, Rif Dimashq Governorate
Rif Dimashq Governorate ( ar, محافظة ريف دمشق, ', literally, the "Governorate of the Countryside of Damascus", Damascus Suburb) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the ...
, and Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Anbar Governorate
Al Anbar Governorate ( ar, محافظة الأنبار; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, ...
, Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, headquarters = Al-Tanf
, size = *120 (2015)[
*300 (2016)][Cody Roch]
Syrian Opposition Factions in the Syrian Civil War
Bellingcat, 13 August 2016
*40–60 (November 2017)[
*300 (October 2018)]
, partof = * Authenticity and Development Front (Until August 2016)
* Free Syrian Army[
, predecessor = Allahu Akbar Brigade ( Authenticity and Development Front)
, successor =
, allies = Southern Front]
* Lions of the East Army
*Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo
The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo is a Syrian rebel group previously affiliated with the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front. The group was named after either Ahmad al-Abdo al-Saeed, a Syrian civilian who was killed in the early 2011 protests, o ...
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
[
, opponents = ]
Syrian Armed Forces
, battles = Syrian Civil War
* Al-Tanf offensive (2016)
* 2016 Abu Kamal offensive
The 2016 Abu Kamal offensive, also known as Operation Day of Wrath, was launched on the town of Abu Kamal on the Syrian–Iraqi border led by the US-backed New Syrian Army (NSA).
The offensive
On 28 June 2016, the New Syrian Army rebels la ...
* Syrian Desert campaign (December 2016–April 2017)
* Syrian Desert offensive (May-July 2017)
* American-led intervention in Syria
The American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War refers to the American-led support of Syrian rebels and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the course of the Syrian civil war, including Operation Inherent Resolve, the active mil ...
* Opposition–Islamic State conflict during the Syrian civil war
, status = Active
The Syrian Free Army ( ar, جيش سورية الحرة), also known as the Army of Free Syria or the Free Syria Army known as the Army of the Commandos of the Revolution ( ar, جيش مغاوير الثورة; ''Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra'', abbreviated MaT) from December 2016 to October 2022 and the New Syrian Army ( ar, جيش سوريا الجديد, ''Jaysh Suriya al-Jadid'', abbreviated NSA or NSyA), from May 2015 to December 2016, is a Syrian Opposition group which controls territory near the Syrian-Jordanian border. The group is most commonly referred to as the Maghaweir al-Thowra, a transliteration of its former name. Founded as an expansion of the Allahu Akbar Brigade by Syrian Arab Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six-D ...
defectors and other rebels during the Syrian Civil War on 20 May 2015, the New Syrian Army sought to expel the Islamic State
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
from southeastern Syria. In December 2016, the New Syrian Army dissolved, and the remnants of the group formed Maghawir al-Thawra. In 2022 it rebranded as the Syrian Free Army following disputes between different factions of its leadership.
Operational history
New Syrian Army
The New Syrian Army was established by remnants of the Allahu Akbar Brigade, part of the Authenticity and Development Front and formerly based in Abu Kamal
Abu Kamal ( ar, أَبُو كَمَال, ʾAbū Kamāl) or Al-Bukamal ( ar, ٱلْبُوكَمَال, al-Būkamāl) is a city on the Euphrates river in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate of eastern Syria near the border with Iraq. It is the administra ...
. The NSA was formed on 20 May 2015, and its fighters were trained in Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.[
On 16 November 2015, the New Syrian Army was deployed at al-Tanf in southeastern Syria, near ]Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, and carried out a raid, with or without US aerial support. No further information was given.
On 5 March 2016, the NSA and another FSA group, the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo
The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo is a Syrian rebel group previously affiliated with the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front. The group was named after either Ahmad al-Abdo al-Saeed, a Syrian civilian who was killed in the early 2011 protests, o ...
, captured the al-Tanf border crossing from ISIL in a cross-border raid from Jordan.
In May 2016, an Islamic State suicide attack struck an NSA base near al-Tanf, which resulted in a large number of casualties. The attack brought to the surface underlying tensions and a lack of morale within the group, whose members alleged that the US failed to provide them with the equipment promised.
In June 2016, the NSA's base near al-Tanf was hit by multiple cluster bombs from Russian airstrikes, killing 2 and injuring 18. Russia denied responsibility for the airstrike, although photos released by the NSA identified the bombs as Russian RBK-500 cluster bombs which were delivered from Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia.
Later in June, the group launched an offensive against ISIL in Abu Kamal
Abu Kamal ( ar, أَبُو كَمَال, ʾAbū Kamāl) or Al-Bukamal ( ar, ٱلْبُوكَمَال, al-Būkamāl) is a city on the Euphrates river in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate of eastern Syria near the border with Iraq. It is the administra ...
. The offensive was repelled by ISIL.
On 3 August 2016, the New Syrian Army was expelled from the Authenticity and Development Front.
Ghosts of the Desert
The Ghosts of the Desert was an NSA-affiliated anti-ISIL insurgent group that covertly operated in ISIL-held towns in southeastern Syria and southwestern Iraq such as Abu Kamal, Mayadin, and al-Qaim. Since March 2016, they initially sprayed graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
and raised Syrian and Iraqi flags in the towns, but began to conduct covert military activities the next month, such as sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
, assassinations of ISIL fighters, and marking positions for airstrikes. The group supplied military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
to the US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...
that allowed them to kill Abu Waheeb
Shaker Wahib al-Fahdawi al-Dulaimi (1986 – May 6, 2016), better known as Abu Waheeb ("''Father of Waheeb''"; Arabic: أبو وهيب), was a leader of the militant group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in Anbar, Iraq. He killed three Syr ...
in May 2016 in the Iraqi town of Rutbah
, image_skyline = File:USMC-090101-M-0493G-066 (cropped).jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = A rooftop view of Ar-Rutbah on 1 January 2009
, image_map =
, pushpin_map = Iraq
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivisio ...
after the group marked his location.[
]
Revolutionary Commando Army
In December 2016, the New Syrian Army dissolved after internal disputes. Some of its remnants regrouped under the name of the Maghawir al-Thawra (Commandos of the Revolution), led by Captain Abdullah al-Zoubi.[
On 30 April 2017, the Maghawir al-Thawra launched an offensive into eastern Syria, reaching the Deir ez-Zor Governorate and capturing the village of Humaymah, south of the T2 pumping station. Two days later, the rebels attacked and captured several sites in the region, including: Tarwazeh al-Wa`er, Sereit al-Wa`er, Mount Ghrab, Swab desert, al-Kamm Swab, the T3 Pumping Station, Me`izeileh and Tarwazeh al-Attshaneh. On 6 May, FSA groups including the MaT captured several sites in the Badiya region of Homs Governorate to the south of ]Palmyra
Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...
including Dahlouz and al-Halbeh areas. The MaT was supplied with IAG Guardian armoured personnel carriers by the US during the operation.
In late November 2017, at least 180 fighters in the Maghawir al-Thawra were relieved of duty. According to the United States Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...
, the fighters "completed their military service", while according to the group's spokesman, they were removed due to their "weak performance". As result, between 40 and 60 fighters were left in the group. The unit increased in numbers after that point, with 300 fighters serving with the Maghawir al-Thawra by October 2018.
In 2021, reports emerged that several explosions took place in al-Tanf. The Maghawair al-Thawra stated that they came from training exercises that it was conducting in the region. On 20 October 2021, the Maghaweir al-Thawra, other Opposition elements at al-Tanf, and the US garrison there were attacked by drones, causing no injuries.
Syrian Free Army
On 23 September 2022, the US-led coalition dismissed Maghawir al-Thawra's commander Brigadier General Muhannad Ahmad al-Tala and replaced him with Captain Muhammad Farid al-Qassem, a former leader of the Qaryatayn Martyrs' Brigade. This caused a group of MaT leaders styling themselves as the military council of MaT to reject the new leader and seize control of part of the al-Tanf base, leading to a brief siege in which the military council was confronted by the main MaT group and US forces, submitting to the new leadership soon after.[ Following another meeting with US forces, the group changed its name to the Syrian Free Army on 23 October.][
]
See also
* List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
A number of states and armed groups have involved themselves in the ongoing Syrian Civil War as belligerents.
Syrian Arab Republic and allies
A number of sources have emphasized that as of at least late-2015/early-2016 the Syrian Arab Republic ...
* Division 30
, war= Syrian Civil War
, image=
, caption=Logo of the Division 30, which is identical to the logo of the New Syrian Army
, active=May—November 2015 (largely defunct)
, leaders=*Lt. Col. Mohammad al-Dhaher
*Capt. Ammar al-Wawi
*Col. Nadim al-Hass ...
- Another Syrian paramilitary group trained and equipped by the United States-led Coalition.
* The White Shroud
References
{{Syrian Civil War
Free Syrian Army
Military units and factions of the Syrian civil war
Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
Rebel groups that actively control territory