Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes

Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes
Arabic: قوات مقاتلي العشائر, romanizedQuwat Muqatili al-Asha'ir
Leaders
  • Sheikh Turki al Buhamad
  • Ahmad al Buhamad
Dates of operationc. 2013/14 – present
Group(s)
  • Deir ez-Zor branch
  • Homs branch
  • Bayraq al-Suwayda (formerly)[1]
Active regionsSyria
Size5,000 (self-claim 2017)
Part ofMilitary Intelligence Directorate
Allies Russia
Hezbollah
 Iran
Opponents Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen
Islamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

The Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes (Arabic: قوات مقاتلي العشائر, romanizedQuwwāt Muqātilī l-ʿAšāʾir), also known as the Tribal Army[2] (Arabic: جيش العشائر, romanizedJayš al-ʿAšāʾir) and the Tribal Fighters (Arabic: مقاتلي العشائر, romanizedMuqatili al-Asha'ir),[3] is a multi-tribal militia affiliated with the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate that takes part in the Syrian Civil War. Led by Turki al Buhamad, the Fighters of the Tribes played a vital role in the Assad government's efforts to retake central and eastern Syria. The militia is affiliated with the pro-Ba'athist branch of the Arab Socialist Movement, and is closely allied with Russia.[4]

  1. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (2 April 2017). "Quwat Muqatili al-Asha'ir: Tribal Auxiliary Forces of the Military Intelligence". Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Tribal Army Militias haggle people of Raqqa countryside for their sons". Nedaa Syria. 9 January 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. ^ Carter Center (2017), p. 3.
  4. ^ Actors and dynamics in the Syrian conflict's middle phase : between contentious politics, militarization and regime resilience. J. K. Gani, Raymond A. Hinnebusch. Abingdon, Oxon. 2022. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-1-000-54593-7. OCLC 1273727207.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)