Revolutionary Commando Army

The Syrian Free Army (SFA, ), previously known as the Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA, ), and the New Syrian Army (NSA, ), was a United States Army-trained opposition faction in southeast Syria. It has been hosted at the US military al-Tanf base and currently as al-Tanf forces within the 70th division of the Syrian Army.

Founded as an expansion of the Authenticity and Development Front 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 the Revolutionary Commando Army.

The group was known for corruption, which led to the U.S. Central Command dismissing its former top official Mohanad al-Tala in 2022. In the aftermath, following an alleged U.S. Central Command attempt to integrate the group into the Syrian Democratic Forces, it rebranded as the Syrian Free Army.

History

New Syrian Army

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. The NSA was formed on 20 May 2015, and its fighters were trained in Jordan.

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.

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.

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.

In June 2016, the NSA's base near al-Tanf was hit by multiple cluster bombs from Russian airstrikes, killing 2 and injuring 18. 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.

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

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

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.

Revolutionary Commando Army

In December 2016, the New Syrian Army dissolved after internal disputes. Some of its remnants regrouped under the name Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA), led by Captain Abdullah al-Zoubi.

On 30 April 2017, the RCA launched an offensive into eastern Syria, reaching the Deir ez-Zor Governorate and capturing the village of Humaymah, south of the T2 pumping station. 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. On 6 May, FSA groups including the RCA captured several sites in the Badiya region of Homs Governorate to the south of Palmyra including Dahlouz and al-Halbeh areas. The RCA was supplied with IAG Guardian armoured personnel carriers by the US during the operation.

In late November 2017, at least 180 fighters in the RCA 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. The unit increased in numbers after that point, with 300 fighters serving with the RCA by October 2018.

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

On 23 September 2022, the US-led coalition dismissed RCA'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 RCA leaders styling themselves as the military council of RCA 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 RCA group and US forces, submitting to the new leadership soon after.

Syrian Free Army

Following another meeting with US forces, the group changed its name to the Syrian Free Army on 23 October 2022.

On 29 February 2024, the Syrian Free Army announced the appointment of Salem Turki al-Antri as their new leader, replacing Muhammad Farid al-Qasim. The announcement was made through a statement and photos on the group's official website at the US-operated al-Tanf military base in eastern Homs Governorate. The group expressed excitement about the new opportunities al-Antri's leadership will provide.

On 7 December 2024, the Syrian Free Army captured Al-Qaryatayn, as well as Al-Sukhnah and participated in the Palmyra offensive capturing the city, after this they moved west and fought in the Battle of Damascus alongside the Southern Operations Room, taking territory in the northern half of the city.

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference on 29 January 2025, many leaders of the armed opposition, including al-Antri, attended.

In a late January 2025 interview between Lizzie Porter of Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National and the group's leader, Salem Turki al-Antri, he stated that the amount of land controlled by the SFA has tripled, from 55 to more than 150 square kilometers of land.

On 3 February, al-Antri said his troops were negotiating with the Syrian transitional government to integrate into the Defense Ministry.

On 30–31 March, during Eid al-Fitr, SFA soldiers arrived in al-Dumayr at the request of the Ministry of Interior to assist General Security, helping to reduce motorcycle movement and distributing mine awareness leaflets. The SFA media office denied rumors that SFA and US forces were planning on turning al-Dumayr Air Base into an American base.

On 17 May, the SFA announced its continued deployment at . Three days later, delegates from the Ministry of Defense conducted an inspection tour at the airport.

In June 2025, according to ''The Jerusalem Post'', the Syrian Free Army is now part of the new 70th Division of the Syrian army.

References

{{Syrian Civil War

Free Syrian Army
Military units and factions of the Syrian civil war
Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
Rebel groups that actively control territory