Opposition leader defected from the regime heads negotiations with the US forces to establish “National Liberation Army” and enter Deir Ezzor province

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources stated that meetings are being held between the International Coalition forces and the US forces and the Maghawir al-Thawra faction supported by the International Coalition on the formation of a “National Army” in the southern countryside of Hasaka city.

In the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory, successive meetings were held during the recent days between the political body of Maghawir al-Thawra group (formerly Syria’s New Army) led by a prominent Syrian opposition figure and the US forces. The meetings focused on the formation of the “National Army”, which is likely to be named “The National Liberation Army”, in which the Maghawir al-Thawra forces will be the main pillar of its formation, and this Army will be launched from al-Shaddadi area which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, which is backed by the International Coalition, in the southern countryside of Hasaka. This Army will be the “only authorized forces” to head towards Deir Ezzor province, most of which is controlled by the “Islamic State” organization, in order to expel the organization from the province.

The sources asserted to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that officials in the US forces told the Maghawir al-Thawra group and its political body, that they should get support of the popular activities of local councils, dignitaries and other social events, especially the events in the Euphrates area and the countryside of Hasaka. Maghawir al-Thawra also confirmed their total rejection to the military action with the Syria Democratic Forces, which is also supported by the International Coalition, although the army’s launch will be from the areas controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces in al-Shaddadi area.

It is noteworthy that Maghawir al-Thawra faction exists in camps protected by the Coalition’s warplanes in an area north of al-Tanf area at the borders with Iraq. The faction used to work under Syrian New Army, which entered the administrative borders of Deir Ezzor and al-Bukamal area in late June 2016, and it withdrew from the province of Deir Ezzor, following a violent and repel attack carried out fighters of the “Islamic State” organization, in which they forces the fighters of Syria New Army to flee their areas of presence in the countryside of al-Bukamal, in which they had stationed after an air drop operation from 3 helicopters 24 hours before the withdrawal of the faction, where the factions moved under the coverage of International Coalition’s warplanes through the Syrian Desert and reached the countryside of al-Bukamal, coming from al-Tanaf area in the southeastern countryside of Homs, and 7 fighters of Syria New Army were killed at that time, including a military field commander, and others were injured.