Falcon drones, rockets and night-vision snipers: How Syria’s rebels deliberate for years to oust Assad | EUROtoday

Locally-made weaponry, together with night time imaginative and prescient, rocket methods, drones, and armoured automobiles have been pivotal within the shock ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, prime insurgent commanders have revealed, because the interim authorities introduced that insurgent factions will dissolve and merge to type a brand new Syrian Defence Ministry.

In interviews with The Independent, senior figures from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist opposition faction that led the cost – defined how that they had deliberate the offensive for greater than 4 years, after devastating losses by the hands of the Assad regime in 2020 compelled them to construct a “new military doctrine” from scratch.

This shift concerned a brand new weapons programme, together with locally-manufactured sniper methods that allowed them, for the primary time, to battle at night time – in addition to uniting disparate teams into a proper navy construction, encouraging regime defection and meticulously planning for “the day after” the top of Assad.

Now, they’re poised to disclose their new navy construction, with HTS chief and the nation’s de facto chief, Ahmed al-Sharaa – also called Mohammed al-Golani – saying on Tuesday that that they had reached an settlement with disparate faction chiefs to consolidate below the defence ministry and construct a brand new navy along with those that defected from Assad’s forces.

HTS commanders advised The Independent that for 4 years they shed “the mindset of the opposition or a militia” and adopted “the mindset of a state” – together with creating constructing outreach programmes to encourage regime troopers to abandon, defect, and enrol in a brand new navy pressure, barring rebels from conducting revenge assaults, and coaching insurgent forces into “a single institutional and national military body with a clear and well-studied plan.”

“The most important lesson we learned was the revival of science within the military institution,” mentioned Abu Hassan al-Hamawi, the top of HTS’s navy council, talking to The Independent from Latakia province, as soon as a authorities stronghold.

There, he’s now holding conferences with leaders from the Alawite sect, to which the Assad household belongs, to construct a brand new state.

One of the primary navy improvements was creating gear that allowed them to battle at night time, which “accelerated [the regime’s] collapse and disrupted their ability to reorganise.”

Al-Hamawi defined that in addition they targeted on producing armoured automobiles able to working in mountainous areas. They then regionally manufactured mortar launchers and the 82mm and 120mm ammunition used with them.

“Additionally, we developed a rocket artillery system, producing rockets similar to the Katyusha [rocket artillery first used by the Soviet Union in the Second World War] in 114mm calibre and further developed rockets with a 220mm calibre.”

Sheikh Shreeh al-Homsi, one other senior determine from HTS’s navy wing, mentioned in addition they created Shaheen – or Falcon– drones, which they declare have been extra superior than the federal government’s and will “target regime gatherings.”

After greater than a decade of ferocious combating and years of frozen battle strains, insurgent forces, led by the HTS, which was as soon as aligned with al-Qaeda, succeeded in a surprising overthrow of the long-term autocracy earlier this month.

Syria’s interim prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, mentioned final week that the brand new defence ministry could be restructured, together with officers who defected from Assad’s military.

Syria’s new rulers have appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a number one determine within the insurgency that toppled Assad, as defence minister within the interim authorities.

However, they face the daunting process of avoiding clashes between the myriad teams and conserving the peace in a deeply fractured and traumatised nation.

There remains to be combating within the northeast of the nation between Turkish-backed opposition forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Al-Hamawi mentioned that recruitment into the navy and police pressure could be step one to enhancing safety, with a recruitment drive throughout totally different cities staring in “the coming days’. All of this, Al-Hamawi stated, relies on bringing a fractured society together.

“I am currently in Latakia province, where I have met with Alawite leaders and heads of institutions – most of whom are Alawites,” he mentioned.

“Our general approach has been to enter these areas peacefully and avoid any talk of revenge. We aim to rebuild the social fabric that the regime fractured. Steps will be taken to restore this social cohesion so that security and public services can operate effectively for citizens’ needs.”

Syria’s battle strains had remained largely deadlocked, with Assad’s authorities crippling insurgent forces for greater than a decade with the help of Iranian and Russian forces.

There have been fears the warfare would drag on indefinitely till a lightning assault was launched in early December, ensuing within the shock overthrow of the Assad household after over half a century in energy.

Rebel forces exploited a second of weak spot for the Assad regime, as its Russian backers have been embroiled in a devastating warfare in Ukraine, Iran-backed teams like Hezbollah have been reeling from a latest battle with Israel, and the nation’s inhabitants was determined for change after years of warfare, disappearances, and financial hardship.

But Sheikh al-Homsi mentioned they didn’t solely “rely on external factors” however targeted on a unified navy command—making certain no remoted operations or situations of chaos “negatively impacted liberated areas.”

They additionally targeted on quick state-building, together with immediately establishing establishments to interact with the native inhabitants, significantly minorities, in areas taken from the regime.

The subsequent challenge, HTS commanders say, is bringing Syria again into the worldwide fold. HTS and different figures are actually lobbying onerous for nations just like the US to drop its terrorist designations, which Al-Hamawi described as “unjust.”

“If we talk about terrorism, we only see it in the Assad regime. We need international support for rebuilding Syria and removing economic and political restrictions so that Syria can rebuild itself properly,” he mentioned.

Another challenge is neighbouring Israel, which has lengthy been locked in battles with Iran-backed militias that when propped up the Assad regime.

Isral has repeatedly bombed navy infrastructure in Syria since Assad’s overthrow. Al-Hamawi mentioned Israel had “no justification except to exploit Syria’s transitional phase.”

“We also call for Israel to withdraw from Syrian territories. Syria has suffered immensely over the past 14 years, and now we seek stability, security, and rebuilding.

“We want to focus on improving services, the economy, and people’s living conditions while maintaining their dignity and security.”