On January 29, Syria’s new leadership announced the dissolution of the Assad regime’s Syrian Arab Army and launched a unification process to integrate various armed militias into a single national force. As part of this effort, militia leaders from the civil war were appointed to key military positions, with some overseeing regional commands and others leading operational divisions such as the air force, armored units, and artillery.
According to the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, top positions, particularly military division commands, were awarded to figures close to Syria’s transitional authority—individuals who had worked with the new leadership in the years leading up to the fall of the ousted Bashar al Assad regime.
FDD’s Long War Journal has identified and profiled several of these figures:
Commander of the Republican Guard: Abdul Rahman Hussein al Khatib, foreign fighter
Khatib, a Jordanian national, has been appointed to lead the newly formed Syrian Republican Guard. Reports indicate that Khatib’s first mission involved sweeping villages in Al Qusayr, Homs Governorate, over the past few weeks. His objective was to capture wanted individuals, seize weapons, and dismantle Captagon production sites along the Lebanon-Syria border.
Operating under the alias Abu Hussein al Urduni, Khatib joined Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a US-designated terrorist group, in 2013, when it was still known as Jabhat al Nusrah, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria. He rose through the ranks to become one of HTS’s top commanders and gained significant trust within the group after the death of Abu Omar Saraqeb in 2016.
According to Independent Arabia, Khatib studied medicine in Jordan and was previously arrested by Jordanian authorities for his Salafist-jihadist ideology. His face remains hidden in all available images. Khatib appears in multiple photos with Ahmed al Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, the former HTS commander and interim president of Syria, dating back to at least 2020.
Commander of The Damascus Division: Omar Mohammed Jaftashi (Mukhtar al Turki), foreign fighter
Jaftashi, a Turkish national, was appointed to lead the Damascus Military Division, also known as the “Protector of Damascus.” Before the fall of the Assad regime, he operated under the alias Mukhtar al Turki and was a secretive figure within HTS. Little is known about his movements, except for his unwavering loyalty to Abu Mohammad al Jolani.
Reports suggest that Jaftashi plays a key role in coordinating efforts between HTS and Turkish intelligence. Despite being a wanted individual in Turkey, he has maintained a close relationship with Turkish intelligence services.
Commander of the Hama Division (62nd Division): Mohammad al Jasem (Abu Amsha), Syrian
Mohammad al Jasem had no formal military background before the Syrian war. He worked as a tractor driver until the conflict erupted. Jasem first joined the Khat al Nar group before establishing the Khat al Nar Brigade in northern Hama in 2012. He later integrated into larger factions, including the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the Sham Front.
Jasem also led the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, also called Amshat, which became part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. He is also under US sanctions, along with several other militia leaders, for human rights abuses against the Kurdish population in northern Syria.
On February 2, 2025, Jasem was promoted to brigadier general and appointed commander of the Hama Division.
Jasem’s forces were accused of committing violations against the Alawite community in the events near the Syrian coast in March 2025.
Commander of the Homs Division (103rd Division): Haytham al Ali (Abu Moslem Afs), Syrian
Haytham al Ali, the former commander of the Ali bin Abi Talib Brigade, was a prominent military figure within Hayat Tahrir al Sham.
Ali was arrested by HTS in December 2023 on charges of conspiring with Abu Ahmad Zakur to overthrow Jolani. According to security sources, his arrest stemmed from his refusal to engage in conflict against Zakur and factions aligned with Abu Maria al Qahtani, an HTS commander who was accused of treason but later released and killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber. Due to widespread protests in Idlib against his and many others’ arrests and a lack of evidence proving he was a traitor, Ali was ultimately released.
Before his detention, Ali had been tasked with mobilizing his brigade to enforce a security crackdown on the city of Binnish, where Jolani’s forces were suppressing protests and detaining demonstrators under dubious pretexts.
Commander of the Idlib Division: Mohammad Gharib (Abu Usayd Huran), Syrian
Mohammad Gharib, known by his nom de guerre Abu Usayd, was the commander of the Idlib sector within the Sham Legion (Faylaq al Sham) and a member of its Military Council. He also served as the commander of the Operations Room of the National Liberation Front. Additionally, Gharib was a member of the tripartite committee alongside Murhef Abu Qasra, the current minister of defense.
In his new position, Gharib will be responsible for securing the highways and the railway line in Idlib province, as well as preventing ISIS elements from infiltrating deep into the governorate.
Commander of the Daraa Division: Ahmad Binian al Hariri, Syrian
Hariri defected from the Syrian regime’s forces in 2011 at the onset of the revolution. He later joined the Muhajireen wal Ansar Brigade, founded in February 2013, and played a key role in establishing Ahrar al Sham in southern Syria.
Following the reconciliation agreement between the regime and the rebels in 2018, Hariri relocated to northern Syria, where he continued to fight as a military commander with Ahrar al Sham. In September 2022, he graduated from the military academy associated with the HTS-led Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib.
Hariri played a pivotal role in the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation that led to the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. Serving as a field commander within Ahrar al Sham under the Military Operations Directorate, his leadership was instrumental in shaping the battlefield. In December 2024, Hariri was promoted to colonel in the new Syrian army.
Commander of the 74th Division: Jamil al Saleh, Syrian
Jamil al Saleh was the commander of Jaysh al Izza and currently holds the rank of colonel in the Syrian Administration. He began his military leadership career by founding the Martyrs of Latamneh Brigade, affiliated with the Free Syrian Army in Jabal al Zawiya. Saleh expanded his efforts by merging various groups and battalions to form the Gathering of Glory Battalions and Brigades, which later evolved into Jaysh al Izza in 2015.
Under Saleh’s leadership, Jaysh al Izza became one of the most significant factions operating in the northern Hama countryside. He led the group in numerous battles against the Assad regime in Hama and Latakia. Most recently, under his command, Jaysh al Izza played a central role in the HTS-led offensive in November 2024, serving as a key force on the frontlines of southern Idlib and northern Hama during the campaign’s military operations.
Commander of the 82nd Division: Khaled al Halabi (Abu Khattab), Syrian
Halabi was promoted to the position of brigadier general and appointed as the commander of the 82nd Special Forces Division in the Syrian army. It has been claimed that Halabi was one of the main “engineers” of the HTS-led campaign that toppled Assad.
Abu Khattab was the commander of Ansar al Tawhid and formerly led Jund al Aqsa, succeeding Abu Abdul Aziz al Qatari. A key militant figure, he played a central role in the evolution of jihadist factions in Syria. His predecessor, Abu Abdul Aziz al Qatari, was a Palestinian veteran of Al Qaeda, having fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria alongside figures like Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden.
Commander of the Aleppo Division (80th Division): Ahmad Rezeq, Syrian
As the commander of the Nour al Din al Zenki Movement, Ahmad Rezq played a pivotal role in military operations, particularly in western Aleppo. The Zenki Movement faced allegations of human rights abuses, including a notorious incident in 2016 where a child was beheaded. Reports suggest that this incident prompted President Donald Trump to cease backing Syrian rebel groups during his first term.
