Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo | |
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قوات الشهيد أحمد العبدو Participant in the Syrian civil war |
|
Active | August 2013–present |
Groups | Badiyat al-Sham Brigade |
Leaders |
Colonel Bakur Salim al-Salim † |
Area of operations | Rif Dimashq Governorate |
Strength | 2,500 (2017, self-claim) |
Part of | |
Allies | Revolutionary Commando Army Army of Free Tribes Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya Jaysh al-Islam Qalamoun Martyrs Brigade Al-Qaratayn Martyrs Brigade |
Opponents |
Syrian Armed Forces (in ceasefire since 2016) |
Battles and wars | |
Website | http://www.qalamon.com/ |
Colonel Bakur Salim al-Salim †
Syrian Armed Forces (in ceasefire since 2016)
The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo is a Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front. The group is named after either Ahmad al-Abdo al-Saeed, a Syrian civilian who was killed in the early 2011 protests, or first lieutenant Ahmad al-Abdo, a rebel commander who was killed in action during the war. The group received support from the Friends of Syria Group.
As of 2017, the group claimed to have 2,000 fighters, including 500 defected soldiers and 30 officers from the Syrian Armed Forces. The head of the group is the "joint command council", led by Captain Ahmed Tamer.
Fighters in the group typically operate in groups of 10. Its main equipment are Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Hilux gun trucks mounted with various weaponry including , heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles, and multiple rocket launchers. It also operate at least 1 T-62 and 2 T-55s.
The group received BGM-71 TOW missiles as one of the first rebel groups to do so in May 2014 and is also in possession of Chinese HJ-8 and Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank missiles paid by Qatar and supplied from Sudan.