A group of Syrians, who were trained and backed by the US in Syria, are seeking to find a role as Syria goes through rapid changes. This group is called the Syrian Free Army. It has been based in AI-Tanf, a small base near the Jordanian border in southern Syria. This base is also a US garrison, and the US troops have been training the Syrians.
The Syrian Free Army said on January 2 that “Syrian Free Army soldiers bring food to children in Rukban, feeding not just their bodies but the spirit of Syria’s future. Hope is stronger than ever.” Rukban is a large displaced persons camp near Al-Tanf.
The Combined Special Ops Joint Task Force-Levant, which is the US-led coalition’s special operations group in the region, has been posting more about the Syrian Free Army in recent weeks. The special operations group is part of the wider anti-ISIS coalition, and they are closely involved in work with groups that fight ISIS, including the Syrian Free Army.
“We are proud to support our partners in the Syrian Free Army as they provide food to the children of Rukban. Our partners continuously strengthen hope to help build a brighter future for Syria,” the special operations force said in a post on social media.
The US role at Al-Tanf is not the only mission the US has in Syria in terms of support and training. The training and support program for the Syrian Free Army is part of the much larger anti-ISIS mission. That mission backs the Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria. Whereas the Syrian Free Army is a relatively small force, the SDF has tens of thousands of soldiers under arms.
The Syrian Free Army spent many years corralled near Al-Tanf. The US garrison had a zone of influence around it where the US and the group it was training kept Syrian regime forces at a distance of some 55km. Over the years, Iranian-backed militias sometimes tried to attack Al-Tanf.
An Iraqi militia called Kataib Hezbollah also attacked a base in Jordan called Tower 22, killing three Americans in January 2024. Therefore, the Al-Tanf garrison and the Syrian Free Army were sometimes under threat. However, this mission was largely under the radar over the years.
Who are the Syrian Free Army?
The Syrian Free Army is made up of Syrian rebels who oppose the Syrian regime. These are Arab opposition forces and the men mostly come from Homs province in Syria and other areas near Damascus and Palmyra. When the Syrian regime began to collapse, these forces took advantage of the vacuum in power and began to expand their area of operations beyond the 55km area. They moved out towards some key roads that were closer to Palmyra.
The forces are attempting to show they are relevant as things move quickly in Syria.
On December 8, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad collapsed. The forces of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rolled south toward Damascus and took the city alongside former Syrian rebel groups from Dara’a in southern Syria. The new government of Syria has moved quickly to try to unify all the armed groups in Syria. This means getting numerous rebel groups to agree to put down their arms and independence and become part of a new armed force.
This is harder with some groups.
Turkey backs some groups in northern Syria. The Southern Syria rebels want their forces to receive positions in the new armed force. The Druze in Suwaida don’t want to lay down weapons until they feel secure. There are complex questions ahead for the US and SDF-backed Syrian Free Army in eastern Syria.
In a new article at NPR, Jane Arraf wrote about the crossroads ahead for this unit. “Syria’s US-trained opposition fighters wait to learn of their role in a new Syria,” Arraf wrote. She tells the story of Salim Turki al-Anteri, a colonel and commander in the Syrian Free Army. He defected from the Syrian regime eight years ago, around 2016. This was when the US was beginning its role at Tanf. “Anteri, who commands about 600 fighters, says he is waiting to see what role in the new security forces his group will be given by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the coalition that drove Assad from power,” the NPR article notes.
The messaging from the Special Operations Joint Task Force and the Syrian Free Army is that both are now more active in trying to showcase the role of this unit in and around Al-Tanf. The goal appears to show that this group is relevant for the future security of this part of Syria. This is an important part of Syria.
Although it is a desert between populated areas such as Suwaida and the border crossing of Albukamal and Palmyra, this area contains ISIS threats, and it was previously a conduit for Iranian regime smuggling efforts.
Therefore, controlling the desert areas and key roads here are important for securing southern Syria. If the new government of Syria is flexible, it could partner with these forces. If it is not flexible, then it is unclear what will come next at Al-Tanf.
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