Revolutionary Commando Army

The Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA),[lower-alpha 1] also known as the New Syrian Army (NSA),[lower-alpha 2] is a Syrian opposition faction which controls territory near the Jordan–Syria border. It has been trained by United States Army and hosted at al-Tanf.[20][19][21]

Revolutionary Commando Army
Arabic: جيش مغاوير الثورة
Leaders
  • Muhammad Farid (since October 2022)[1]
  • Muhannad Ahmad[2] (until October 2022)[1]
  • Captain Abdullah al-Zoubi[3]
    (since December 2016, MaT)
  • Bara Fares[4]
    (media spokesperson)
  • Muhammad Jarrah[5]
    (spokesman)
  • Khazal al-Sarhan[6]
    (until December 2016, NSyA)
  • Mozahem al-Saloum[7]
    (spokesperson, former, NSyA)
Dates of operationMay 2015 – Dec 2016 (New Syrian Army)
Dec 2016 — Nov 2022 (Maghaweir Al-Thowra)
Nov 2022 — present (Syrian Free Army)
Group(s)
  • Ghosts of the Desert[8]
  • Allahu Akbar Brigade
HeadquartersAl-Tanf
Active regionsHoms Governorate, Rif Dimashq Governorate, and Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Anbar Governorate, Iraq
StatusActive
Size
Part ofSyrian opposition Free Syrian Army
Syrian opposition Authenticity and Development Front (until August 2016)[14]
Allies Southern Front[15]
 United States
United Kingdom United Kingdom[17]
Norway Norway[18]
Jordan Jordan (until 2018)[15]
Opponents Islamic State[19]
Syria Syrian Armed Forces
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

Founded as an expansion of the Allahu Akbar Brigade by Syrian Arab Army defectors and other rebels during the Syrian Civil War on 20 May 2015, the New Syrian Army sought to expel the Islamic State from southeastern Syria. In December 2016, the New Syrian Army dissolved, and the remnants of the group formed Maghawir al-Thawra.[22] In 2022 it rebranded as the Syrian Free Army following disputes between different factions of its leadership.

History
The logo of the New Syrian Army, which is identical to the logo of the Division 30.

The New Syrian Army was established by remnants of the Allahu Akbar Brigade, part of the Authenticity and Development Front and formerly based in Abu Kamal.[23][24] The NSA was formed on 20 May 2015, and its fighters were trained in Jordan.[2]

On 16 November 2015, the New Syrian Army was deployed at al-Tanf in southeastern Syria, near Iraq and Jordan, and carried out a raid, with or without US aerial support. No further information was given.[25]

On 5 March 2016, the NSA and another FSA group, the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo, captured the al-Tanf border crossing from ISIL in a cross-border raid from Jordan.[26]

In May 2016, an Islamic State suicide attack struck an NSA base near al-Tanf, which resulted in a large number of casualties. The attack brought to the surface underlying tensions and a lack of morale within the group, whose members alleged that the US failed to provide them with the equipment promised.[14]

In June 2016, the NSA's base near al-Tanf was hit by multiple cluster bombs from Russian airstrikes, killing 2 and injuring 18.[27] Russia denied responsibility for the airstrike, although photos released by the NSA identified the bombs as Russian RBK-500 cluster bombs which were delivered from Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia.[28]

Later in June, the group launched an offensive against ISIL in Abu Kamal. The offensive was repelled by ISIL.[29]

On 3 August 2016, the New Syrian Army was expelled from the Authenticity and Development Front.[30]

Ghosts of the Desert

The Ghosts of the Desert was an NSA-affiliated anti-ISIL insurgent group that covertly operated in ISIL-held towns in southeastern Syria and southwestern Iraq such as Abu Kamal, Mayadin, and al-Qaim. Since March 2016, they initially sprayed graffiti and raised Syrian and Iraqi flags in the towns, but began to conduct covert military activities the next month, such as sabotage, assassinations of ISIL fighters, and marking positions for airstrikes. The group supplied military intelligence to the US Air Force that allowed them to kill Abu Waheeb in May 2016 in the Iraqi town of Rutbah after the group marked his location.[8]

Members of the Revolutionary Commando Army and a US Army soldier repair a water well in Al-Tanf.

In December 2016, the New Syrian Army dissolved after internal disputes. Some of its remnants regrouped under the name of the Maghawir al-Thawra (Commandos of the Revolution), led by Captain Abdullah al-Zoubi.[3]

On 30 April 2017, the Maghawir al-Thawra launched an offensive into eastern Syria, reaching the Deir ez-Zor Governorate and capturing the village of Humaymah, south of the T2 pumping station.[31][32] Two days later, the rebels attacked and captured several sites in the region, including: Tarwazeh al-Wa`er, Sereit al-Wa`er, Mount Ghrab, Swab desert, al-Kamm Swab, the T3 Pumping Station, Me`izeileh and Tarwazeh al-Attshaneh.[33] On 6 May, FSA groups including the MaT captured several sites in the Badiya region of Homs Governorate to the south of Palmyra including Dahlouz and al-Halbeh areas.[34] The MaT was supplied with IAG Guardian armoured personnel carriers by the US during the operation.[35]

In late November 2017, at least 180 fighters in the Maghawir al-Thawra were relieved of duty. According to the United States Central Command, the fighters "completed their military service", while according to the group's spokesman, they were removed due to their "weak performance". As result, between 40 and 60 fighters were left in the group.[5] The unit increased in numbers after that point, with c. 300 fighters serving with the Maghawir al-Thawra by October 2018.[12]

In 2021, reports emerged that several explosions took place in al-Tanf. The Maghawair al-Thawra stated that they came from training exercises that it was conducting in the region.[36] On 20 October 2021, the Maghaweir al-Thawra, other Opposition elements at al-Tanf, and the US garrison there were attacked by drones, causing no injuries.[37]

On 23 September 2022, the US-led coalition dismissed Maghawir al-Thawra's commander Brigadier General Muhannad Ahmad and replaced him with Captain Muhammad Farid, a former leader of the Qaryatayn Martyrs' Brigade. This caused a group of MaT leaders styling themselves as the military council of MaT to reject the new leader and seize control of part of the al-Tanf base, leading to a brief siege in which the military council was confronted by the main MaT group and US forces, submitting to the new leadership soon after.[1] Following another meeting with US forces, the group changed its name to the Syrian Free Army on 23 October.[20]

Notes
  1. Arabic: جيش مغاوير الثورة, romanized: Jaysh Maghāwīr al-Thawra
  2. Arabic: جيش سوريا الجديد, romanized: Jaysh Sūriyā al-Jadīd

References
  1. Walid Al Nofal (5 October 2022). "US-backed Maghawir al-Thawra commander replaced, amid internal disagreements and corruption allegations". Syria Direct. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  2. Muhammad Ersan (1 June 2017). "Syrian rebel commander: 150 US troops at al-Tanf base". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017.
  3. ""The new Syrian Army" new look .. "commando revolution," the formation of US support to fight state regulation in Homs". Shaam Network. 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  4. Muhannad Hourani (25 May 2017). ""Commando revolution" is preparing to cover the battle of Abu Kamal coalition". Arabi 21. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  5. Waleed Khaled a-Noufal and Justin Clark (21 November 2017). "US-backed forces in southeastern Syria downsize, take on smaller role". Syria Direct. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  6. "New Syrian Army will 'liberate eastern Syria' from IS". The New Arab. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  7. "What is the truth Revolution Army commando attack on the regime in the Syrian desert?". Qasioun News Agency. 26 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  8. "THE GHOSTS OF THE DESERT: FIGHTING ISIS FROM WITHIN". Conflict News. 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016.
  9. Times, Los Angeles (29 June 2016). "U.S.-backed rebels launched their first attack against Islamic State. They lost". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 24 August 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  10. Weiss, Michael (1 July 2016). "They Rescued This Town from ISIS, Then Lost It". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  11. Cody Roche Syrian Opposition Factions in the Syrian Civil War Archived 2022-04-09 at the Wayback Machine, Bellingcat, 13 August 2016
  12. Kube, Courtney (22 October 2018). "Inside the remote U.S. base in Syria central to combating ISIS and countering Iran". NBC News. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
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  17. British special forces 'operating inside Syria alongside rebels' Archived 2016-06-06 at the Wayback Machine, Telegraph 6 June 2016
  18. "Holder tett om støtte". Klassekampen (in Norwegian). 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
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  20. "New decision - Maghaweer Al-Thawrah to change faction's name to "Free Syria" army". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 23 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  21. Coalition: MaT still a vetted Syrian force, remains at At Tanf Archived 2018-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, The Defense Post
  22. ""Revolution Commando" New Military Formation to fight IS group of Palmyra". El-Dorar al-Shamia. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  23. "Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Garver via teleconfere". United States Department of Defense. 29 June 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
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  25. "New U.S.-backed offensive in northern Syria advances on ISIS outposts". McClatchy DC. 17 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  26. "Syria Rebels take border crossing from IS". Associated Press. 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  27. Loveluck, Louisa; Ensor, Josie (17 June 2016). "Russian warplanes bomb elite British-backed Syrian rebels". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  28. "The al-Tanf Bombing: How Russia Assisted ISIS by Attacking an American Backed FSA Group with Cluster Bombs". Bellingcat. 21 June 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
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