Anti-Terrorism Force
| Anti-Terrorism Force[1] | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Samer Hakim[2] |
| Dates of operation | July 2021[3]–June 2022[2] |
| Country | Syria |
| Active regions | Suwayda Governorate[4] |
| Allies | Revolutionary Commando Army Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve[5] |
| Opponents | National Defense Forces[6] Hezbollah Syrian Arab Army Druze fighters Bedouin fighters[5] Raji Falhout group[7] |
| Battles and wars | |
The Anti-Terrorism Force was a Druze militia that was affiliated with the Syrian Brigade Party.
Activities
The organization was established by the Syrian Brigade Party.[8]
Members of the group met with the Security Committee in Suwayda in August 2021, which threatened to bomb their headquarters.[9]
There were clashes between the Raji Falhout group and other groups, following the seizure of a seller and a university student in September 2021, in an attempt by the Raji Falhout group to force the release of a member of Military Intelligence who had been taken by the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF).[5] A member of the Falhout group was captured by the ATF and his confession was aired on Facebook.[7]
The group clashed with members of the National Defence Forces in September 2021.[3]
The armed group had seized Jawdat Hamza, who was reportedly involved in drug trafficking, and delivered him to the US military stationed at the Al-Tanf base.[5]
Around 40 members of the group were attacked by over 500 members of various regime-aligned militias, including Hezbollah, as well as Druze and Bedouin fighters[5] on 8 June 2022.[2] Some members of the group unsuccessfully attempted to reach the American Al-Tanf base, and were ambushed.[5] The groups leader, Samer Hakim, was besieged in the village of Imtan, where he "refused to surrender" and shot himself.[10]
The seizure of Hakim's body from the As-Suwayda National Hospital by militia members affiliated with Zaafar Jaafar, the father of known drug trafficker Ahmed Jaafar, both of whom had ties with Hezbollah, was confirmed by hospital staff and a member of the Druze political party.[5]
References
- ^ Khaled al-Jeratli (18 August 2021). "Would rising tension in As-Suwayda lead to autonomy?". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Walid Al Nofal (15 June 2022). "In Suwayda, 'organized gangs' serve as an arm of Damascus and violence threatens to ignite interfamilial conflicts". Syria Direct. Translated by Mateo Nelson. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Who Is Behind Funding the 'Counter-Terrorism Forces' in Suwayda, Syria?". Alestiklal. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Mohamed Hardan (18 July 2021). "New Druze political party, military faction take shape in Suwayda". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ali Eid; Khaled al-Jeratli; Hassan Ibrahim (5 July 2022). ""Wait for the next": Iran warns As-Suwayda residents as 'next' can exceed reprisals". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ Ali Darwish; Khaled Jar'atli; Hussam al-Mahmoud; Rayan al-Atrash (3 October 2021). "Multiple conflicting forces on the ground portend possible clash in Syria's As-Suwayda". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b Ali Eid; Khaled al-Jeratli; Hassan Ibrahim (7 October 2021). "Rise in kidnappings sparks fear among people of As-Suwayda". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Yaman Zabad (27 March 2025). "As-sweida After Assad's Fall: Understanding Political Demands and the Dynamics of Military Power". Harmoon Center for Contemporary Studies. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Syrian regime threatens to bomb predominately Druze As-Suwayda Governorate if its forces are not given control over holdout neighborhoods". Syriac Press. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Commander of "Anti-terrorist Force" Killed in Suweida". Al-Souria Net. The Syrian Observer. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2025.