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The US-led coalition had sacked the leader of its proxies in southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf where it maintains a large garrison, Syrian news sources revealed on September 24.
Muhanad Tala, leader of so-called Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT), was reportedly removed upon direct orders from the United States Central Command. Tala, who founded the MaT in 2016 with support from the coalition, is a former colonel of the Syrian Arab Army who defected early on in the war.
Some 200 US troops and 300 MaT militants are usually deployed at al-Tanf garrison, which is located near Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan. The US-led coalition maintains a 55-kilometer no-fly zone around the garrison.
Some sources said that Tala was sacked because of a recent trip he made to Turkey, during which he held talks with the country’s intelligence officials. The leader left al-Tanf garrison to Iraq before the decision to remove him from his position was made. He reportedly told his militants that he was going to discuss the issue of opening a border crossing with Iraqi officials.
Colonel Muhanad Tala, leader of Maghaweir al-Thowra.
Tala was replaced by Muhammad Farid Qassem who served as a captain in the SAA before defecting to join the rebels in the early years of the war.
Qassem, also known as “Abu Hussam,” was the leader of the al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade. The group was formed in 2014 with direct support from the US. Before moving to al-Tanf in 2016, the group was active in the deserts of Damascus and Homs. In 2017, the coalition claimed that it had ceased support for the group. However, the group continued to operate in al-Tanf.
In August, a series of Russian airstrikes hit hideouts of the al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade near al-Tanf. The airstrikes were a response to recent terrorist attacks by the group.
Despite his alleged terrorist activities, Qassem is reportedly very close to the US-led coalition. He even worked with the US Special Operations Command.
The al-Tanf came under attack on several occasions this year. During the most recent attack, which took place in mid-August, several suicide drones hit positions of the MaT near the garrison. The attack was reportedly carried out by Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Iraq.
The US decision to sack Tala reflect their worries about the security situation in al-Tanf. The coalition may be also trying to push its proxies in the garrison to escalate their attacks on Syrian government forces and civilian infrastructure in nearby areas by appointing a more radical leader.
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