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Deir ez-Zor Military Council

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Deir ez-Zor Military Council
مجلس دير الزور العسكري
Leaders
Dates of operation8 December 2016 – present
Group(s)Gathering of al-Baggara Youth[3]
Active regions
Part of Syrian Democratic Forces
AlliesElite Forces
Al-Sanadid Forces
People's Protection Units
Martyr Amara Arab Women's Battalion[4]
Battles and wars

The Deir ez-Zor Military Council is an Arab-majority militia of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), based in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate.

History

[edit]
Deir ez-Zor Military Council and allies announce the start of their Deir ez-Zor offensive

On 8 December 2016, the Deir ez-Zor Military Council was created during a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) conference in Hasaka. The members consist of remnants of the former armed rebel council of the same name, expelled from the city by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014, having joined the SDF in November 2016.[7][8] However, the pro-opposition Deir ez-Zor 24 organization denied that the military council's commander, known as Abu Khawla, was a commander in any Free Syrian Army (FSA) group.[9]

The Deir ez-Zor Military Council participated in the Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor campaigns from 2016 to 2019 to expel the IS from those governorates. One of the military council's commanders, Khalid Awad, was killed in battle on 22 February during the Raqqa campaign.[10][11] in 2018, the Deir ez-Zor Military Council clashed with and defeated pro-Assad Syrian and Russian Wagner mercenary forces in the Battle of Khasham during the Deir ez-Zor campaign.[12]

The military council's numbers were boosted by a defection of 800 fighters from the militia group Elite Forces on 25 August 2017, prior to the beginning of the Deir ez-Zor campaign. The fighters, consisting of seven units of tribal fighters from al-Baggara and al-Shaitat stationed in the eastern Raqqa and southern Hasaka countrysides,[6][13] accused the Elite Forces of corruption. The leader of one of the units that defected from the Elite Forces, Yasser al-Dahla, who led the Gathering of al-Baggara Youth, was arrested by SDF military police and accused of not effectively participating in the SDF's Deir ez-Zor offensive and the "lack of military discipline" on 28 September 2017. The unit denied the charges and accused the military council of preventing fighters who defected from Operation Euphrates Shield to the SDF from joining the Gathering. Dahla reportedly threatened to cease his group's participation in the Deir ez-Zor offensive.[14] He was released some time after, and denied reports that he defected to government forces while acknowledging disputes between him and other SDF commanders.[15]

Week-long protests broke out in areas held by SDF in Deir ez-Zor after threats of attacking SDF held areas in the region were made by pro-government and Iranian-backed forces in Deir ez-Zor such as the Baqir Brigade, calling for the withdrawal of Assad government and Iranian-aligned forces from Khasham. In response to the protests, the council's field commander released a statement on behalf of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council to a tribal gathering, that they would fight pro-government and allied forces if they were to attack. The SDF also denied involvement in organizing the protests, but took no action against them.[16][17][18] On 29 October 2019, the CJTF-OIR coalition bombarded Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in Deir ez-Zor, reportedly in response to the Syrian military shelling SDF-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, following the coalition's bombings clashes were also reported between the SAA and SDF in the area during which an SAA tank was destroyed.[19]

Rashid Abu Khawla, also known as Ahmad Abu Khawla, served as general commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council until his arrest by the SDF in 2023

Clashes broke out between the SDF and the Deir ez-Zor Military Council in August 2023, with local tribes within the military council declaring control over six villages along the Euphrates river upon SDF withdrawal on 29 August. The Deir ez-Zor Military Council began clashes with the SDF after the military council's commander, Abu Khawla, was arrested by the SDF who accused him of corruption and unlawful activity, and lasted until September.[20] Abu Khawla was replaced by Turki Al-Dhari, also known as Abu Laith Khasham. The military council's organisation and leadership was restructured in October 2024 and a new commander, Ayed al-Turki al-Khabil, also known as Abu Ali Fuladh, was installed.[21]

During the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives in late November to early December 2024, the Deir ez-Zor Military Council launched its own offensive against the SAA and Iranian militias in an attempt to capture the remaining government-held settlements east of the Euphrates. Following the withdrawal of pro-government forces towards Damascus on 6 December, the SDF extended its control over the city of Deir ez-Zor as well as the city of Abu Kamal and its border crossing with Iraq.[22][23]

Following the fall of the Assad regime, anti-SDF protests broke out in Deir ez-Zor calling for the Syrian transitional government to take over the city. The leaders of the Hajin, Al-Kasrah, Al-Busayrah Military Councils and Koniko Brigade, which operate under the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, have since announced their defection to the Syrian transitional government and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led Military Operations Command.[24][25] The SDF have since lost control of parts of the city west of the Euphrates to new Syrian government forces.[26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ ""قسد" تُعيد هيكلة مجالسها العسكرية وتُعين "أبوعلي فولاذ" خلفاً للخبيل لقيادة مجلس "دير الزور"". شبكة شام (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  2. ^ Zana Omar (9 March 2017). "US-backed Forces Find Chemical Weapons Factory in Deir Ezzor". Voice of America.
  3. ^ "The Gathering of Al-Bakkara Youth continues their battle and get closer to the hometown of the Sheikh of Bakkara". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 10 September 2017.
  4. ^ "SDF about forming first Arab all-female brigade - ANHA". en.hawarnews.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  5. ^ "Abu Khoula: SDF's advance east of al-Raqqa prepares for Deir ez-Zor liberation". Hawar News Agency. 18 February 2017. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b Rodi Said (25 August 2017). "U.S.-backed forces to attack Syria's Deir al-Zor soon: SDF official". Reuters.
  7. ^ Hassan Hassan (27 June 2017). "The Battle for Raqqa and the Challenges after Liberation". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  8. ^ ""Intentionally" holding a meeting in the city of Hasaka to all factions". Enab Baladi. 8 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Who is Abu Khawla Al-Diri that appeared recently as the commander of the SDF-linked Deir Ezzor Military Council ?". Deir Ezzor 24. 11 December 2016. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Wrath of Euphrates announces death of commander in DeirEzzor Military Council Khalid Awad". Syria Live Map. 22 February 2017.
  11. ^ "More than 40 barrels target the west of Rif Dimashq and more fighters of Syria Democratic Forces killed in clashes at the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah". SOHR. 22 February 2017.
  12. ^ Andrew Illingworth (9 February 2018). "Breaking: US-led forces launch all-out offensive against Syrian Army in Deir Ezzor". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Split seven elite battalions and join Syria's democratic forces". Hawar News Agency. 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017.
  14. ^ "Military police of SDF arrest leader of al-Bakkara Youth Gathering Yasser al-Dahla, the defected of Syrian Elite Forces". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 2 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Yasser Al-Dahleh, with audio and video, refutes what the media has announced about his break-up and adherence to the regime". Xeber 24. 9 December 2017.
  16. ^ "The 'Seven-kilometer-zone' Makes Regime Anxious In Deir ez-Zor". Enab Baladi. September 23, 2019.
  17. ^ "Deir ez-Zor: Aktionen gehen bis Rückzug des Regimes weiter". ANF News.
  18. ^ Desk, News (September 27, 2019). "Demonstrations continue in rural Deir Ezzor, protesters demand withdrawal of Syrian Army". Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  19. ^ "The International coalition sends a strong message to Assad forces, and bombards their artillery in Deir Ezzor". October 29, 2019. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "Deir Ezzor sectarian strife | 118 people killed in two rounds of bloody clashes between local gunmen and SDF - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  21. ^ ""قسد" تُعيد هيكلة مجالسها العسكرية وتُعين "أبوعلي فولاذ" خلفاً للخبيل لقيادة مجلس "دير الزور"". شبكة شام (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  22. ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  23. ^ "US-backed Syrian Kurds seize eastern city of Deir el-Zor, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  24. ^ "Amid division and security tension | Four commanders split from "Deir Ezzor Military Council" - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  25. ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  26. ^ "Syrian fighters who overthrew al-Assad claim control of Deir Az Zor city". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
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