Rashid Abu Khawla (), also known as Ahmed al-Khbeil, is a Syrian rebel leader who is a former commander in the

Syrian Democratic Forces The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a Kurds in Syria, Kurdish-led coalition of U.S.-backed Left-wing politics, left-wing ethnic militias and rebel groups, and serves as the official military wing of the Democratic Autonomous Administration ...

and former

Syrian Opposition Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

leader based in

Deir ez-Zor Deir ez-Zor () is the largest city in eastern Syria and the seventh largest in the country. Located on the banks of the Euphrates to the northeast of the capital Damascus, Deir ez-Zor is the capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. In the 2018 ...

Background

Prior to the Syrian Civil War Khawla was reportedly involved in stealing motorcycles and was imprisoned for it by

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

state authorities. As the war began he joined the Syrian Opposition in Deir ez-Zor and established his own militia which allegedly took part in running checkpoints that would extort and steal from drivers.

Biography

Prior to SDF

In 2013 he and his group assisted the Syrian rebels in besieging the 113th Brigade of the Syrian army in

. In 2014 after the rise of 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 ...

(ISIL) he pledged allegiance to the group. However he later left the group and fled to

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 ...

after ISIL executed his brother.

After joining SDF

By February 2016 he had returned to Syria and claimed to have established a new group allied with the

, opposed to ISIL. In March 2016, he formally announced that he and his group had joined SDF, and he would later become the spokesman of SDF's Deir ez-Zor Military Council. On 24 March 2016, he announced that the Deir ez-Zor Military Council had captured several villages from ISIL in northwestern Deir ez-Zor. In April 2019, activists reported that he became involved with oil smuggling from Deir ez-Zor with an individual known as "Abu Bakr al-Homsi", that reportedly served as a broker on behalf of a company, between the SDF and the Syrian government, and he had also previously organized oil sales on behalf of ISIL. In July 2019, during an interview Khawla stated that he and his groups cooperated with the governments of

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. However he denied any cooperation with the Syrian government or

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and criticized efforts by Iran and groups linked to Iran for spreading the

Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

sect in eastern Syria, and referred to them as occupation forces. He also stated that he had recruited several fighters from Turkish-backed groups and tribal militias in Deir ez-Zor, and he referred to areas under the control of Turkey and allied opposition groups as liberated areas. He also said if he were authorized by the coalition to attack Iranian forces and allied Shiite militias in Deir ez-Zor he would, and said regarding Iranian efforts to promote Shiism in Deir ez-Zor, "civilians are being displaced and killed, the names of Sunni mosques are being replaced with Shiite ones and religious centers are being constructed for them".

Arrest and dismissal from the SDF

On August 27, 2023, Abu Khawla was arrested by the SDF in Al-Hasakah and dismissed from his position as commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council. The SDF cited "numerous reports and complaints from the local populace" leading to an arrest warrant being put out by the AANES Public Prosecution office for numerous offences. These included 'communication and coordination with external enemies hostile to the revolution, committing criminal offences and engaging in drug trafficking, mismanaging of the security situation, his negative role in increasing the activities of ISIS cells, and exploiting his position for personal and familial interests, thus violating the internal regulations of the SDF. Abu Khawla was subsequently replaced by his former deputy, Abu Kaith Khisham. Following Abu Khawla's arrest and dismissal, large-scale clashes broke out between the SDF and Arab tribes supportive of Abu Khawla. In an audio recording released on social media, Ibrahim al-Hafil, leader of the Uqaydat tribe, called upon all Arab tribes in the region to unite against the SDF in response to Abu Khawla's arrest.

References