Malhama Tactical
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Private military company |
Founded | Idlib Governorate, Syria, 2015 |
Founders | Abu Rofiq (Abu Salman) † |
Area served | Syria |
Key people |
|
Services | Military consultation and training |
Number of employees | 100-200+ |
Malhama Tactical is a private military contractor operating in the Syrian Civil War.[1] The group, founded by a pseudonymous Uzbeki jihadist called Abu Rofiq,[1] is closely allied with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and its successor group Tahrir al-Sham.[2] Its around dozen members occasionally participate in combat and run guns, but primarily provide training.[1] The company has worked with Ahrar al-Sham and the Turkistan Islamic Party.[1] According to the pro-government Al-Masdar News, its leader Abu Rofiq was killed in an airstrike on 7 February 2017,[3] though his death has been questioned.[4]The group stands in opposition to ISIS[5]
History[]
The company was founded in 2015 and came to prominence in early 2017.[2] However, according to the Twitter account of the current leader of Malhama Tactical, , the group has been active since 2013 in what he has described as "emergency aid on the battlefield."[7] They have been noted for their prolific and successful use of social media to advertise their services.[2] Malhama Tactical is active in the Idlib-Aleppo region.[2] Fighters are noted to be considerably better trained than other Syrian fighters, although not as good as Western soldiers, and to be very well equipped.[8] According to Al-Masdar, they are well trained in medical care, which allows them to reduce their casualties.[9]
In May and July 2017, Malhama Tactical conducted raids against government forces in the western Aleppo Governorate alongside Ajnad al-Kavkaz.[10] In November 2018, Malhama Tactical together with Tahrir al-Sham[2] conducted a night raid on a Syrian Army & Russian base, in which allegedly 25 soldiers were killed, seven of whom were Russians.[11] After the death of Abu Salman (Abu Rofiq), Ali Al-Shishani became the new leader of Malhama Tactical.[12]
External links[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "The Blackwater of Jihad". Foreign Policy.
- ^ a b c d e "Malhama Tactical (JFS /Conquest of al-Sham Front) - Terrorist Groups - TRAC". TrackingTerrorism.com.
- ^ Lapkin, Ivan (February 7, 2017). "Unknown airstrike kills elite Nusra's squad leader in Idlib".
- ^ "'Malhama Tactical' - so-called 'Islamic private military company' ... Myth and reality". War Diary. R&U Videos. 9 January 2019.
- ^ OGN TV via YouTube (11 June 2020) Who is Training Mujahideen Special Forces?
- ^ Joanna Paraszczuk (7 November 2019). "I asked Ali Shishani why some Chechen mujahideen started wearing Ichkeria flags". From Chechnya to Syria. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Malhama Tactical". The Fanatics Tactical Guru! - The Firearm Blog. 12 December 2016.
- ^ Ivan Lapkin. "Unknown airstrike kills elite Nusra's squad leader in Idlib". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
- ^ Neil Hauer (19 April 2018). "North Caucasian Militants May Be Seeking Syria Exit". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ OGN TV via YouTube (13 November 2018). "Daring Rebel Night Raid: Seven Russians Dead".
- ^ Joanna Paraszczuk (12 September 2019). "Interview with Ali Al-Shishani, New Commander of Malhama Tactical".
- Anti-government factions of the Syrian civil war
- Military unit and formation stubs
- Company stubs