Southern Operations Room
| Southern Operations Room | |
|---|---|
| غرفة العمليات الجنوبية Ghurfat Aleamaliaat Aljanubia | |
 Logo of the Southern Operations Room | |
| Leaders |
|
| Dates of operation | 6 December 2024 — present |
| Country | Syria |
| Allegiance |  Syrian transitional government[1] |
| Group(s) |  Syrian Army 5th Corps' 8th Brigade Southern Front loyalists Ex-rebels in reconciliation zones Central Committee Sheikh al-Karama Forces[2] Men of Dignity[2] |
| Active regions | Daraa Governorate Suwayda Governorate Quneitra Governorate Rif Dimashq Governorate Damascus Governorate Damascus |
| Part of | Military Operations Command[3] |
| Allies | |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | Syrian civil war |
| Flag |  |
The Southern Operations Room (Arabic: غرفة العمليات الجنوبية, romanized: Ghurfat Aleamaliaat Aljanubia), also known as SOR, is a Syrian rebel coalition consisting of various Syrian opposition groups that originally operated in the southern provinces of Daraa, Suwayda and Quneitra, though they have expanded to Damascus and Rif Dimashq.
The formation process began in 2023, with advisers from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led Military Operations Command bringing together the leaders of around 25 opposition factions in southern Syria to coordinate planning for a future military operation.[7]
The Southern Operations Room publicly declared their formation on 6 December 2024, to co-ordinate the southern Syria offensive in the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[8][9] The Southern Operations Room was the first rebel organization to capture Damascus during the Syrian civil war.[10]
Creation and structure
[edit]The Southern Operations Room was announced on 6 December 2024 and was declared to consist of groups called the "8th Brigade", and the "Central Committee" alongside other organizations that were based in the Suwayda and Quneitra Governorates.[11] The 8th Brigade was previously known as the Youth of Sunna Forces. In the past, the 8th Brigade numbered about 1,200 militants, and was one of the biggest opposition groups in the Daraa Governorate prior to the 2018 reconciliation deal. The Central Committee had been active in the Syrian opposition since 2011. Their mandate was centered on two main goals: addressing community needs by guaranteeing stability and protection for Syrian citizens, and formalizing the Russian-sponsored reconciliation agreement into an accepted document. The central committee was accused of working with the Syrian government and its security forces at the expense of the local populace.[4]
In the official statement made by the SOR command, the group pledged to maintain security and stability while controlling the southern regions of Syria. It additionally called on all the countries of the world to support the decision of the Syrian people to "gain freedom and build their own country".[12]
The SOR has emphasized its objective of creating a "unified and just Syria" and characterized its militant campaign as a fight for "freedom and dignity." In order to avert chaos and create a stable post-conflict state, its leaders have urged the maintenance of state institutions previously controlled by opposing individuals whilst working with different Syrian communities.[9]
As of December 2024, the group has been in talks with the Syrian transitional government to discuss becoming part of the Ministry of Defense. In a joint meeting with Ahmed al-Shara'a and commanders of several armed factions on 24 December, most commanders, including SOR leader Ahmad al-Awda, agreed to dissolve their factions and merge into the Ministry of Defense. Daraa groups are still reportedly negotiating their integration.[13]
Leadership
[edit]Very little is known about the SOR coalition's "key leadership" as of December 2024.[4] Nassim Abu Ara, a former commander of the Free Syrian Army under the Youth of Sunna Forces, is one of the leaders that have been identified. Prior to joining the rebels at the start of the Syrian civil war, Abu Ara served as an officer in Assad's army. He was serving as a rebel commander of Youth of Sunnah Forces and later switched sides and become one of the commanders of the 8th Brigade in 2018. Abu Ara was seen by many as having collaborated with Russia and Assad. He currently serves as the spokesman and a commander of SOR.[2]
Known as "Russia's man in Southern Syria",[4] Ahmad al-Awda, the alleged leader of SOR, was also the commander of the Youth of Sunna Forces. Similar to Abu Ara, he was a member of Assad's army before joining the rebels in his region during the outbreak of civil war. He collaborated with a number of Islamist groups in the southern parts of Syria, such as Al-Nusra Front. Al-Awda's reputation as "Russia's man" was further solidified in 2018 following the reconciliation agreement with Russia, when he was appointed as commander of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces' 5th Corps branch in the Daraa Governorate, following the recapture of territory by government forces in most of Syria.[2][14][15]
Military actions
[edit]A year before the fall of the Assad regime, Tahrir al-Sham sent a message to Southern rebel groups to prepare for a future offensive against the regime.[16]
The coordination of the Southern Syria offensive is attributed to SOR. With the help of other local opposition groups, SOR captured the city of Daraa and small towns around it after the withdrawal of Syrian Arab Armed Forces and pro-Assad Iranian armed groups.[14][17] SOR claimed to have taken full control of the Daraa District and have started combing through its neighbourhoods and securing its institutions and government offices.[18] SOR also said that it had fully taken control of Quneitra Governorate, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in southwestern Syria. In response, the Israel Defense Forces said they deployed “reinforced forces in the Golan Heights area.”[19]
On 7 December 2024, the spokesperson of SOR announced its plans to push toward Damascus, stating, "Our target is Damascus, and our meeting point is Umayyad Square."[20] His statement also addressed people in Suwaida and Quneitra cities, saying, “We stand at the gates of Damascus as partners in this liberation alongside the steadfast people of Suwaida and the honorable revolutionaries of Quneitra. We extend our hands for cooperation with all components of a new, unified Syria—free from terrorism and sectarianism and aspiring for liberation from tyranny.”[8] Southern rebels together with SOR started encircling Damascus after capturing Al-Sanamayn, a town 20 km from the southern entrance of Damascus.[21] They were supposed to wait until Homs fell so that the two rebel coalitions could approach Damascus at the same time, but the fighters started the offensive earlier out of excitement and energy.[16]
Early on 8 December, Damascus was captured by the SOR rebels; president Bashar al-Assad escaped Syria on a plane to Russia. Over a Syrian state television broadcast, a group of opposition leaders declared victory. Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali stated that his government is willing to "extend its hand" to the new opposition led transitional government, offering to work with it.[22] Some sources indicate that an agreement to transfer of power to the transitional government could be signed by 9 December 2024.[23] Colonel Nassim Abu Ara, the military spokesperson and commander of SOR, attributed the swift collapse of Syrian Arab Armed Forces to “the expansion of points of engagement and attacks from several areas in Daraa province, quickly taking control of many military positions and checkpoints”, which, he stated, caused “a collapse in morale”.[24] As of 9 December, the SOR rebels control the majority of southern Syrian provinces.
On 11 December, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani met with the leaders of the Southern Operations Room to discuss military and civilian affairs coordination. The discussion included "coordination", "cooperation" and a "unified effort," without explicit support for the HTS-led government.[25]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Hamidi, Ibrahim (25 December 2024). "Four key challenges for Syria's new government". Al Majalla. Archived from the original on 25 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d Avraham Levine (19 December 2024). "Rebel factions in southern Syria – Southern Operations Room (SOR)". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Burke, Jason (9 December 2024). "Who are the main actors in the fall of the regime in Syria?". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d Sharawi, Ahmad (9 December 2024). "Analysis: Who liberated Damascus? Unpacking the Southern Operations Room's emergence". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "المعارضة المسلحة تصل السويداء وتسيطر على مقرات أمنية (فيديو)". Erem news. 6 December 2024.
- ^ Blomfield, Adrian (18 December 2024). "US 'prepared Syrian rebel group to help topple Bashar al-Assad'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Christou, William (13 December 2024). "Syrian rebels reveal year-long plot that brought down Assad regime". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Opposition Fighters Form Southern Operations Room to Liberate Daraa and Advance on Damascus". National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Southern Operations Room Opens Fronts in Daraa as CMO Advances". Levant24. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Burke, Jason (9 December 2024). "Who are the main actors in the fall of the regime in Syria?". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Farhat, Beatrice (6 December 2024). "Syria rebels advance, Jordan closes border as Assad loses ground: What to know". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "الإعلان عن تشكيل غرفة عمليات الجنوب لتحرير درعا والتوجه نحو دمشق" [Announcing the formation of the Southern Operations Room to liberate Daraa and head towards Damascus]. National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. 6 December 2024.
- ^ Hamidi, Ibrahim (25 December 2024). "Four key challenges for Syria's new government". Al Majalla. Archived from the original on 25 December 2024.
... and on Tuesday, most groups agreed to work under the country's defence ministry and dissolve. Key groups include Jaysh al-Islam, led by Essam Al-Buwaydani in Douma, and Ahmed Al-Awda, head of the Southern Operations Room. While most factions have agreed to dissolve under the new framework, Daraa factions are still negotiating their integration.
- ^ a b "انسحابات متوالية للجيش والمعارضة تعلن الاقتراب من دمشق" [Successive withdrawals of the army and the opposition announces its approach to Damascus]. Al Jazeera Arabic. 7 December 2024.
- ^ Land, Michael; Barany, Diana (23 July 2020). "Russia and Aligned Former Opposition Fighters Leverage Growing Anti-Assad Sentiment to Expand Control in Southern Syria". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ a b Christou, William (14 December 2024). "'The army just ran away': how Bashar al-Assad lost his brutal grip on Syria". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Conflict in Syria: Live Tactical Analysis". Al Jazeera Arabic. 6 December 2024.
- ^ "After Aleppo, Homs and Dara, can rebel forces take over Syria's capital Damascus?". Firstpost. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Syrian rebels enter Homs, say they'll besiege Damascus". The Washington Post. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Malyasov, Dylan (7 December 2024). "Damascus on the brink of collapse". Defence Blog. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Syrian rebels say they control the south and are approaching Damascus". Middle East Eye. 7 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Michaelson, Ruth (8 December 2024). "Bashar al-Assad reported to have fled Syria as rebels say they have captured Damascus". The Guardian.
- ^ "Opposition forces impose curfew in Syrian capital Damascus". Intellinews. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Al Nofal, Walid (8 December 2024). "What was behind Daraa's rapid fall, and did HTS participate?". Syria Direct. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Moore, Johanna; Parry, Andie; Campa, Kelly; Reddy, Ria; Wells, Katherine; Braverman, Alexandra; Kishore, Siddhant; Rezaei, Ben; Carter, Brian (11 December 2024). "Iran Update, December 11, 2024". Institute For the Study of War. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
