Afif Suleiman
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Afif Mahmoud Suleiman (; born 1966) is a Syrian rebel military leader from the
Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama Governorate to the sou ...
of northwest Syria. He led the Revolutionary Military Council in Idlib Governorate from 2012 to 2014, and has been the commander-in-chief of the
Free Idlib Army The Free Idlib Army ( ''Jaysh ʾIdlib al-Ḥarr'') was a Syrian rebel coalition consisting of 3 armed groups from northwestern Syria affiliated with the Free Syrian Army: the 13th Division (Syrian rebel group), 13th Division, the Northern Divisio ...
of the
National Front for Liberation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ...
since 2019.


Biography


Early war

Afif Mahmoud Suleiman was born in the village of Maasaran in the Idlib Governorate in 1966. He served in an electronic insurance brigade of the
Syrian Arab Air Force The Syrian Air Force () is the air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948, and first saw action in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Under Ba'athist Syria until December 8, 2024, it was known as the Syrian Arab Air Force ...
with the rank of
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
until he announced his
defection In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
from Syrian government forces on 26 October 2011 or 6 January 2012 in the
Hama Governorate Hama Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates to the north, Raqqa Gove ...
, along with 30 of his soldiers. His defection was broadcast on
Al Jazeera Mubasher Al Jazeera Mubasher (AJM; ) is a public affairs television network launched by Al Jazeera Media Network originally on April 15, 2005. As such, it is an Arabic channel based in Doha, Qatar that broadcasts conferences and other events live witho ...
and he said that he pleaded with the
Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
to visit
mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...
s inside Syria but his pleas were ignored. After his defection, Suleiman commanded the
Abu al-Fida Ismāʿīl bin ʿAlī bin Maḥmūd bin Muḥammad bin ʿUmar bin Shāhanshāh bin Ayyūb bin Shādī bin Marwān (), better known as Abū al-Fidāʾ or Abulfeda (; November 127327 October 1331), was a Mamluk-era Kurdish geographer, historian, ...
Battalion of the
Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA; ) is a Big tent, big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition (2011–2024), Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defe ...
in the area between Hama and Idlib. He then moved further north into Idlib around Maarat al-Nu'man, established the Northern Shield Battalion alongside 5 other defected officers on 21 February 2012, and in early or mid-April he established the Idlib Military Council. According to Joseph Holliday of the
Institute for the Study of War The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is an American nonprofit research group and advocacy think tank founded in 2007 by military historian Kimberly Kagan and headquartered in Washington, D.C. ISW provides research and analysis of modern arm ...
, Suleiman's council gained the support of about 70% of rebel groups in the governorate at the time of its establishment. On the day following the
Houla massacre The Houla massacre () was a mass murder of civilians by Ba'athist Syria, Ba’athist Syrian government forces that took place on May 25, 2012, in the midst of the Syrian Civil War, in the town of Taldou, in the Houla Region of Syria, a string o ...
of 25 May 2012, Suleiman declared the end of the United Nations-brokered Syrian ceasefire and announced that his group would resume attacks against government forces. His fighters shot down a Syrian Air Force
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB, Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames in ...
as it took off from Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase on 30 August. By September 2012, the Idlib Military Council and other FSA military councils had been receiving supplies of weapons and funding from
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
and
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
through a
control room A control room or operations room is a central space where a large physical facility or physically dispersed service can be monitored and controlled. It is often part of a larger command center. Overview A control room's purpose is produc ...
in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. Lebanese
Future Movement The Future Movement () is a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Sunni sect. The party was founded as a coalition in 1995 led by Rafic Hariri which was known as the Hariri Bloc but was officially founded in 2007. The party is led by Saad ...
politician
Okab Sakr Okab Sakr or Oakab Saker (; born 4 March 1975) is a Lebanese journalist and politician who lost his father before he was born during the beginning of the Lebanese civil war. Sakr won a seat in the Lebanese parliament on 7 June 2009, and one of f ...
oversaw the allocations of supplies to different rebel groups from the control room. Suleiman accused Sakr of favoring several groups within the Idlib Military Council, including
Jamal Maarouf Jamal Maarouf () was one of the most powerful Syrian opposition to Bashar al-Assad, rebel leaders in northern Syria during the earlier stages of the Syrian Civil War. He was the military chief of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and leader of the ...
's
Syrian Martyrs' Brigades The Syrian Martyrs' Brigades, full name Union of Martyrs of Syria Battalions and Brigades (), was a unit of the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Revolutionaries Front which was active in the Idlib Governorate. The unit was formed during the early y ...
, which reportedly held a neutral view of the
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...
. This, according to Suleiman, created a rift within the Idlib Military Council, and he requested his Saudi allies to confirm no aid except through the military councils, and they promised to do so. Suleiman said in early 2013 that it was clear he and his Idlib Military Council had no control over rebel groups in the region, and that he had little to offer these groups other than nominal organization and occasional supplies of weapons and ammunition. Suleiman and other rebel military council leaders, who were applauded by
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
officials, and supported by the US attended a 3-day conference of the
Syrian National Council The Syrian National Council (SNC), sometimes known as the Syrian National Transitional Council or the National Council of Syria, was a Syrian opposition coalition, based in Istanbul, Turkey, formed in August 2011 during the Syrian civil upris ...
and other Syrian opposition groups in
Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
,
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, that resulted in the formation of the
National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), or the Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC) was a political organization founded in Doha, Qatar, in November 2012 ...
, commonly referred to as the Syrian National Coalition or the Syrian Opposition Coalition, in early November 2012.
Robert Stephen Ford Robert Stephen Ford (born 1958) is a retired American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Algeria from 2006 to 2008 and the United States Ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014. Personal life and education Ford is from Denve ...
, who served as the US ambassador to Syria from 2010 to 2014, claimed that Suleiman,
Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi () (also spelled al-Aqidi or al-Okaidi or al-Egaydi) is a former commander and spokesman for the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo. A former colonel in the Syrian Arab Army, he defected in early 2012. On 3 November 2013, he annou ...
, and other military council leaders denounced
sectarianism Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or Religious violence, religious conflicts between groups. Others conceiv ...
within rebel ranks in 2012 and 2013, but began cooperating with sectarian Islamist groups including
al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
's
al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra or Jabhat Nusrat Ahl al-Sham, also known as Front for the Conquest of the Levant, and also later known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham was a Salafi-jihadist organization that fought against Ba'athist Syria, Ba'athist ...
in order to fight government forces despite Ford's and other US officials' concerns. On 9 December 2013, Suleiman's Idlib Military Council joined with other groups including Jamal Maarouf's Syria Martyrs’ Brigades, the
Idlib Martyrs' Brigade The Idlib Martyrs' Brigade (, ''Liwa Shuhada Idlib'') was an armed rebel group that fought against the Syrian government in the Idlib Governorate of Syria. It first operated under the name Syrian Liberation Army (), but had renamed itself by the ...
, and the Farouq Battalions of Hama to form the
Syrian Revolutionaries Front The Syrian Revolutionaries Front (, ''Jabhat Thowar Suriya'', SRF, also translated Syrian Rebel Front) was an alliance of 14 relatively moderate religious and some secular armed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, formed in ...
as a counter to the recently formed Islamic Front, which had captured the Supreme Military Council's warehouses containing foreign-supplied weapons at
Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing The Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing (, "Gate of the Winds Crossing") is located on the Syria–Turkey border about west of Aleppo in northwest Syria. It connects the Syrian M45 and the Turkish D827 highways, between the cities of İskenderun and Idl ...
three days earlier. In early 2014, Suleiman was one of the rebel leaders who oversaw the offensive that led to the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...
's withdrawal from the Idlib Governorate. Following ISIL's victory in the
Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014) The Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014) began on 4 June 2014, when the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, assisted by various insurgent groups in the region, began a major offensive from its territory in Syria into Iraq against Iraqi and K ...
, Suleiman said that he was concerned ISIL would use the funding and heavy weapons they seized in Iraq to launch a counter-offensive against the rebels in Syria. He then via
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at a panel discussion in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, on 12 June requested weapons from the US in order to fight ISIL. Two days later, on 14 June, Suleiman along with 8 other FSA military council commanders, all colonels or lieutenant colonels, resigned from their councils due to the lack of funding. At one point prior to September 2014, Suleiman was detained in
King Abdulaziz International Airport King Abdulaziz International Airport (IATA airport code, IATA: JED, ICAO airport code, ICAO: OEJN, colloquially referred to as Jeddah Airport, Jeddah International Airport, or KAIA), is a major international airport serving the cities of Jedda ...
in
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...
, refused entry into Saudi Arabia, had his
Syrian passport The Syrian passport is a travel document issued by Syria's Directorate of Immigration and Passports to Syrian citizens for international travel. It can also be issued on behalf of the directorate at various Syrian diplomatic missions outside ...
confiscated, and was told to collect it at the Syrian government's administration in
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
.


Late war

On 31 July 2019, Suleiman and his son were arrested by
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was a Sunni Islamist political organisation and paramilitary group involved in the Syrian civil war. It was formed on 28January 2017 as a merger between several armed groups: Jaysh al-Ahrar (an Ahrar al-Sham facti ...
's security force at a checkpoint at the Ghazawiya crossing near
Darat Izza Darat Izza (, also spelled Darat Aza or Darit Izza) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of Aleppo. Nearby localities include Deir Samaan to the north, Anadan to the east and Turmanin ...
as they were driving from
Afrin District Afrin District (, Kurdish: Herêma Efrînê) is a district of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of Afrin. At the 2004 census, the district had a population of 172,095. Also available in English: Afrin ...
to the northern Idlib Governorate. Suleiman was detained in HTS's Oqab Prison in
Jabal Zawiya Mount Zāwiya () or Mount Rīḥā () (also in medieval times: Banī-ʻUlaym Mountain ()) is a highland region in Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria. Around 36 towns and villages exist in the Mount Zawiya region. The biggest towns are Rī ...
, and released two days later. Suleiman has been the subject of criticism and condemnation among opposition circles following the end of the
northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020) Northwestern Syria offensive may refer to: *Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015) or Battle of Victory *Al-Ghab offensive (July–August 2015), in northwestern Syria *Northwestern Syria offensive (October–November 2015) *Northwestern S ...
. A
source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...
told Step News Agency that he demobilized fighters of the Free Idlib Army who were killed in combat in order to avoid paying financial support to their families, and did not send reinforcements to the frontlines during the offensive, instead moving himself and the rest of the Free Idlib Army's leadership north to
Jindires Jindires (; or ) is a town in northern Syria in the Afrin District of the Aleppo Governorate. It is located on the Afrin River, northwest by road from Aleppo and southwest of Afrin, Syria, Afrin. Nearby localities include Deir Ballut and Bayadah ...
in Afrin away from the fighting. The same source accused him of providing fake lists of fighters to his backers, mainly Turkey, and
hoarding Hoarding is the act of engaging in excessive acquisition of items that are not needed or for which no space is available. Civil unrest or the threat of natural disasters may lead people to hoard foodstuffs, water, gasoline, and other essentials ...
millions of
dollars Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...
worth of money he obtained by
corrupt Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
activities including stealing and selling truckloads of food Turkey sends to the Free Idlib Army. In response to these accusations and to Suleiman's replacement of the Free Idlib Army leadership to exclude members of the Mountain Hawks Division, the Mountain Hawks stated on 13 May that they no longer recognized Suleiman as their commander, and demanded that he be
court martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...
ed for
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
. On 18 August 2020,
Shaam News Network Shaam News Network (S.N.N., ) is a Syrian media outlet. It is named after the Arabic name for the Levant region. It was funded by Syrian-American activists at the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011. It publishes videos, photos and art ...
obtained a document signed by Suleiman which decreed that a group of Free Idlib Army fighters stationed on the
Latakia Latakia (; ; Syrian Arabic, Syrian pronunciation: ) is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad Mar ...
front were have their salaries reduced by LS 50,000 as a fine for the loss of three
blanket A blanket is a swath of soft textile, cloth large enough either to cover or to enfold most of the user's body and thick enough to keep the body warm by trapping radiant body heat that otherwise would be lost through Thermal conduction, condu ...
s and two
sponge Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and a ...
s. This sparked outrage and Step News Agency further claimed that Suleiman intended to move his entire force to the Turkish-occupied region to the north and punished those who stayed in Idlib. In an interview with
Enab Baladi ''Enab Baladi'' () is a Syrian nonprofit media organization that publishes a newspaper with the same name, in Arabic and English. It was established in Darayya, Syria in 2011, and is also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. History and profile ...
in March 2021, Suleiman said that 1,400 Free Idlib Army fighters have been killed by that time, and that only families of killed fighters were who married are paid, in amounts of TL 100–150 per month.


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Suleiman, Afif Members of the Free Syrian Army Syrian Air Force personnel 1966 births Syrian Sunni Muslims People from Idlib Governorate Living people Syrian National Army Syrian colonels