Youth of Sunna Forces explained

Youth of Sunna Forces
Native Name:قوى شباب السنة
Quwaa Shabaab al-Sunnah
Native Name Lang:Ar
War:the Syrian civil war
Active:2014-2018
Leaders:First faction:
  • Mohammad Tohme
  • Bilal Droubi
  • Capt. Ziad Abbas [1]

Second faction:

  • General commander Haitham Ahmad Odah[2]
  • Col. Nassim Abu Ezza [3]
Headquarters:Bosra, Daraa Governorate
Area:Daraa Governorate
Quneitra Governorate[4]
Partof: Free Syrian Army
Predecessor:Youth of Sunna Brigade
Allies:
Opponents: Syrian Armed Forces
Battles:Syrian Civil War

The Youth of Sunna Forces or Sunni Youth Forces,[5] formerly the Youth of Sunna Division and the Youth of Sunna Brigade, was a Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front that was armed with U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles. It operated in the Daraa and Quneitra Governorates[4] until it surrendered and later joined ranks of Syrian Arab Army in 2018.

History

On 2 August 2016, fighters from the Youth of Sunna Forces raided the house of its deputy leader Mohammad Tohme and proceeded to beat his father and shot his brother. In response, the next day Tohme loyalists stormed its own headquarters in Bosra and deposed Ahmad al-Auda, the leader of the group. Auda and his followers fled and was subsequently placed under house arrest, while the military council handed over the group's command to Tohme and his deputy, Bilal Droubi. Some rebel supporters called this a coup d'etat while others declared their support and defended the toppling of corrupt leaders.[2]

On 22 August 2016, additional Southern Front factions joined the Youth of Sunna Division under the new leadership of Colonel Nassim Abu Ezza.[3] In 2018 after major rebel defeat in southern Syria, the group surrendered to the government forces and later joined ranks of SAA, supporting offensive against ISIS affiliate Jaish Al Walid in July 2018.

Groups

War crimes

On 28 February 2016, the diplomat for the town of Abtaa, Colonel Zidan Nsierat, was disappeared into a prison in Bosra held by the Youth of Sunna Brigade. Three days later, he was killed being tortured in the prison, and the group refused to hand over his corpse to his family. Similar incidents of deaths due to prisoner abuse by the Youth of Sunna was reported in the town.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 21 military factions merge into "Shabab alSunna Forces". Yalla Souriya. 22 August 2016.
  2. Web site: "Military coup" in rebel-held Syria town. Now News. 4 August 2016. 5 August 2016. 17 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170517192853/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/567254-military-coup-in-rebel-held-syria-town. dead.
  3. Web site: 21 military formations in Daraa unite under the name of the Youth of Sunna Forces. El-Dorar. 22 August 2016.
  4. Web site: The Moderate Rebels: A Complete and Growing List of Vetted Groups. 30 November 2014. Democratic Revolution, Syrian Style. 21 October 2014.
  5. Web site: How Southern Syria has been Transformed into a Regional Powder Keg . Armenak . Tokmajyan . 14 July 2020 . Carnegie Middle East Center . 19 July 2020.
  6. Web site: Detainees Disappeared and Tortured by an Armed Opposition Faction in Daraa. Syrian Network for Human Rights. 12 October 2016.