Five Commanders Of Free Syrian Army Were Assassinated In Daraa In October

On October 27, a commander of the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) group Jaysh Ahrar al-Ashayer was assassinated in Daraa governorate, according to opposition sources.

Abd Allah Khalf al-Eafash al-Eiadat was killed after an IED targeted his car on the Smad-Semej road in the northern Daraa countryside.

Jaysh Ahrar al-Ashayer is known for its attack on Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions near the Syrian-Jordanian border on August 19. Back then, officials of the FSA said that Jaysh Ahrar al-Ashayer attacked the SAA from inside the Jordanian territories without the knowledge of the US-led coalition or the approval of Jordan.

On October 26, Syrian opposition sources said that Ihsan Awad Hoshan, a commander of Shabab al-Sunnah FSA group, was  assassinated. Ihsan was killed by an IED in Saida town in the eastern Daraa countryside.

Back on August 31, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Shabab al-Sunnah militant group in Daraa has access to chemical weapons and it is planning to use them.

Also on October 26, Nassar Al Zu’bi, a commander of Jaysh al-Thuwar FSA group was assassinated by unknown gunmen in al-Yadudah town in the northwestern Daraa countryside.

Only two days earlier, Jaysh al-Thuwar arrested several persons suspected of working for the Syrian Intelligence in Daraa. Jaysh al-Thuwar said that the persons planed and conducted several assassinations in Daraa governorate.

Mazen Sobhy Suleiman Al-Joufi a commander of Jaysh al-Islam in Daraa was also killed by unknown gunmen between al-Jiza and Tayibe villages in the eastern Daraa countryside on October 20.

Back on October 19, First Lieutenant Farouq Ghazali, a commander of Firqat al-Qadisiyah was killed while he was trying to remove an IED that was attached to his car inside Daraa city.

Syrian opposition activists accuse the Syrian Intelligence and the ISIS-affiliated group Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Waleed of conducting the assassinations in southern Syria.

However, some opposition activists believe that the US-led Military Operation Center (MOC) in Jordan was behind at least some of the assassinations to keep the FSA in southern Syria under its control. The attack that targeted Jaysh Ahrar al-Ashayer could be an example of that.