Syrian Elite Forces battle ISIL in rural Deir Ezzor

A number of Syrian opposition factions are battling the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) in various parts of northern Syria.

Among them is the recently emerged Syrian Elite Forces, the military arm of al-Ghad al-Soury (Syria Tomorrow), a movement led by opposition leader Ahmad al-Jarba, former head of the Syrian National Coalition.

Al-Shorfa met with Qasim al-Khatib, a founding member of the movement and member of its Secretariat General, to talk about the creation of the military force and its objectives, most notably fighting ISIL.

Al-Shorfa : What are the Syrian Elite Forces and when were they founded?

Qasim al-Khatib : The Syrian Elite Forces were founded late last year [2015] to serve as the armed wing of al-Ghad al-Soury opposition movement. It is natural for every political movement to have a military wing that implements its political vision and lays the foundations for Syria's future, away from the many political disputes that have harmed the Syrian revolution, and also away from extremist and terrorist ideas.

Al-Shorfa : What are the main objectives of the Syrian Elite Forces?

Al-Khatib : To establish the Syria of tomorrow by fighting the extremism espoused by the ISIL terrorist group and other groups that threaten the fabric of Syrian society, that is woven of a multitude of ethnicities and faiths; and to preserve the cultural dimension of Syria that [ISIL] is trying to destroy and erase completely.

Al-Shorfa : How many fighters does the force have, where are they stationed and how big is the area under their control?

Al-Khatib : The Elite Forces currently consist of about 1,500 fighters equipped with all types of medium and light weapons, and vehicles necessary for their movement. They are led by Muheidi al-Jaeela, also known as "Abu Saleh", and are currently stationed in areas of rural Idlib and al-Hasakeh provinces, where they control territory of at least 150 square kilometres.

Al-Shorfa : Do the Elite Forces co-operate with Syrian tribes?

Al-Khatib : There is co-ordination between the Elite Forces and the tribes, and many members of the Elite Forces are tribesmen who have in fact previously fought against ISIL, most notably the Shaitat tribesmen, who fought a remarkable war against the group.

Al-Shorfa : Do the Elite Forces co-ordinate with other opposition forces fighting ISIL?

Al-Khatib : In the northern Syria areas there are only the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) who are actually fighting ISIL on the ground.

We have no direct military co-ordination with them, but at the same time there is no antagonism between us. By virtue of the geographical nature of the area, each of the two parties has its own areas that it controls and in which it carries out military operations against ISIL, bearing in mind that the YPG provided support to the Elite Forces at the time of their founding and presence in YPG-controlled areas.

Al-Shorfa : What have been the most notable recent confrontations with ISIL?

Al-Khatib : Elite Forces units are in direct contact with the group’s elements and clashes occur on an almost daily basis. However, the most notable clashes took place in the last week of May, when the forces were able to repel an attempt by ISIL to advance in the area of Malihat al-Tharu [village] in rural Deir Ezzor. The group’s elements were surrounded and 25 of them were killed.

The forces were able to retrieve six of the bodies, including a Moroccan, an Egyptian, a Yemeni and three Syrians. The forces also were able, in early June, to down a reconnaissance drone launched by the group in the Abu Khashab area in rural Deir Ezzor that was used to monitor forces and their military movements.

Al-Shorfa : Is there communication with other opposition factions to unify the military efforts?

Al-Khatib : No real or direct communication is currently taking place with any of the other opposition factions. In the Deir Ezzor and rural al-Hasakeh regions, where the forces have a presence, there are no other opposition forces that espouse a moderate ideology that is compatible with the objectives of the revolution. However, it will be necessary in the future for this to happen in order to unify efforts and achieve common objectives.