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Former ISIS Commander Assassinated After Joining Ahrar Al-Sharqiya in Ras Al-Ain
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Withholding Salaries from Turkey-Backed National Army Fighters Fuels Chaos and Defections, Potentially Reshaping Northern Syria’s Military Landscape
Amid escalating security tensions in northern Syria, unidentified gunmen assassinated a prominent former ISIS commander after he defected to the faction Ahrar Al-Sharqiya. The attack targeted him in his home in Ras Al-Ain, in the northwestern countryside of Hasakah.
The assailants, masked and riding a motorcycle, began by throwing a hand grenade before opening fire, killing him instantly. They then fled to an unknown destination.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the targeted commander was one of the key planners behind ISIS’s large-scale attack on Ghuwayran Prison in Hasakah in 2022, which ultimately failed after weeks of security chaos.
Despite switching allegiances and joining Ahrar Al-Sharqiya, his assassination appears to be part of a series of retaliatory operations—possibly linked to internal conflicts among Turkey-backed factions or infighting among remaining ISIS cells.
Unpaid Salaries Deepen Divisions in the National Army
This incident coincides with growing crises within factions of the National Army, as Turkey’s decision to cut fighters’ salaries has triggered waves of tension and defections.
Dozens of fighters have been forced to leave National Army-controlled areas, either smuggling themselves into regime-held territory or defecting to areas under the Autonomous Administration. The ongoing financial crisis has left these factions without solutions, exacerbating instability.
In a related development, a similar incident occurred in the Peace Spring area near Tal Abyad, where a commander in the Al-Amshat faction was killed by members of his own group following a dispute over unpaid wages.
Local sources report that the commander was killed while attempting to leave the area with 18 other fighters after not receiving salaries for two months. The dispute escalated into internal clashes, resulting in his death.
Fragile Security and Rising Chaos
These rapid developments highlight the fragile security situation in areas controlled by Turkey-backed factions. Internal divisions, assassinations, and infighting now threaten the stability of these groups, while public discontent grows amid worsening chaos and lawlessness.
With salaries suspended and defections rising, the military landscape in northern Syria may be on the verge of unprecedented restructuring—further complicating an already volatile region.
